SERENA UPSET HEADLINES TOUGH DAY FOR AMERICAN TENNIS AT THE U.S. OPEN BY RICKY DIMON

Written by: Staff on 11th September 2015

SERENA UPSET HEADLINES TOUGH DAY FOR AMERICAN TENNIS AT THE U.S. OPEN BY RICKY DIMON

epa04926192 Novak Djokovic of Serbia (R) hits a return to Marin Cilic of Croatia during their Semifinals round match on the twelfth day of the 2015 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 11 September 2015. The US Open runs through 13 September, which is a return to a 14-day schedule. EPA/CJ GUNTHER |

Serena Williams’ bid for the calendar-year Grand Slam in 2015 is over.

The world No. 1 was stunned 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 by unseeded Italian Roberta Vinci 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the U.S. Open semifinals on Friday afternoon. Vinci punched an improbable ticket to her first-ever major final, while Williams was looking for her fourth such title of the season and 21st of her illustrious career.

Serena Williams of the US hits a return to Roberta Vinci of Italy during their Semifinals round match on the twelfth day of the 2015 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 11 September 2015. The US Open runs through 13 September, which is a return to a 14-day schedule. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO

“I thought she played the best tennis in her career,” Williams said of Vinci. “She’s 33 and she’s going for it at a late age. So that’s good for her to keep going for it and playing so well. I think she played literally out of her mind.

“I don’t think I played that bad. I made more unforced errors than I normally would make, but I think she just played really well. She did not want to lose today. Neither did I.”

“It’s amazing,” Vinci assured. “It’s like a dream. I’m really happy, but of course I’m a little bit really sad for Serena. She’s (an) incredible player.”

Speaking of incredible, legends Leander Paes and Martin Hingis extended the woes of the host nation on Friday. In the mixed doubles championship match, Paes and Hingis down the all-American duo of Sam Querrey and Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-4, 3-6, 10-7.

It was a disappointing day for the American contingent even for the so-called champions. In that tournament, John and Patrick McEnroe teamed up but the brothers may have been better of staying in the commentary booth. They lost their opening match 7-6(4), 6-4 to Mark Philippoussis and Pat Cash.

At the junior ranks, Michel Mmoh’s loss prevented the U.S.A. from putting three players in the boys semifinals. Mmoh got off to a fast start in his quarterfinal encounter but ended up losing to 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 to Alex De Minaur of Australia. But the semifinal will still be 50 percent American, as both Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul advanced.

There were no Americans even from the beginning of the men’s wheelchair event. There also appears to be no one who can challenge No. 1 seed and defending champion Shingo Kunieda. The Japanese star, who has won this event five times, beat Belgium’s Joachim Gerard 6-4, 6-1 in Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

Topics: 2015 US Open, American Tennis, Atp World Tour, Ricky Dimon, Roberta Vinci, Serena Williams, Sports, Tennis News, U.S. Open tennis, Wta

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10sBalls_com says:

September 11, 2015 at 9:02 pm

-@serenawilliams UPSET HEADLINES TOUGH DAY FOR AMERICAN #TENNIS AT THE #USOpen BY @Dimonator- http://t.co/wMs2RMozck #SerenaWilliams
Dimonator says:

September 11, 2015 at 10:05 pm

RT @10sBalls_com: -@serenawilliams UPSET HEADLINES TOUGH DAY FOR AMERICAN #TENNIS AT THE #USOpen BY @Dimonator- http://t.co/wMs2RMozck #Ser…