Serena finally falls after year of living dangerously

• Serena loses Grand Slam bid in shocking upset

Serena Williams of the US gets up slowly from the court in the third set against Roberta Vinci of Italy - Reuters​

Serena Williams of the US listens to a reporter’s question during a post-match press conference following her loss to Roberta Vinci of Italy in their women’s singles semi-final match at the US Open Championships tennis tournament in New York, 11 September 2015 - Reuters

Serena Williams had been a vulnerable conqueror at this year’s majors, living dangerously and dicing with defeat on numerous occasions as she tried to become only the fourth woman to complete the calendar Grand Slam.

On Friday, her luck finally ran out at the US Open, and on a court where she had not been beaten since 2011.

In her 12th three-set contest of the electrifying 2015 run, Williams met her match in Italian doubles expert Roberta Vinci, who ended the American’s bid for a share of tennis history with a shocking 2-6 6-4 6-4 upset victory in the semi-finals.

Williams, dominating the sport at the ripe old tennis age of 33, had repeated over and over that she felt no pressure in trying to add her name to a list comprised of Maureen Connolly (1953), Margaret Court (1970) and Steffi Graf (1988).

She tried her best to maintain that mantra after her stunning semi-final defeat on an Arthur Ashe Stadium court that had been so kind to her in the past.

“I don’t want to talk about how disappointing it is for me,” Williams said during a tetchy post-match conference during which she repeatedly refused to answer questions.

“I told you guys I don’t feel pressure,” she insisted. “I never felt pressure. I never felt that pressure to win here. I said that from the beginning.”

On court, the world number one appeared impatient, flustered and weighed down by expectations against 32-year-old Vinci, over-hitting groundstrokes and second serve returns in an effort to overwhelm and discourage the Italian, who refused to shy away from the daunting challenge.

It was only the third loss in 56 matches for Williams this year and came against an opponent who had never taken a set off her in four previous meetings and was appearing in her first grand slam semi-final.

Despite the defeat, Williams has nothing to be ashamed of after an extraordinary season produced Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon wins to take her career grand slam total to 21, third on the all-time list behind Court (24) and Graf (22).

Her Wimbledon triumph enabled her to boast possession of all four grand slam titles at the same time for the second “Serena Slam” of her career after first accomplishing the feat when winning the 2003 Australian Open.

Yet Williams had to fight through lapses along the way.

The world number one was extended to three sets twice at the Australian Open, five times at the French Open and twice more at Wimbledon.

She even relied on her champion’s survival instincts when she stood two points from defeat against British outsider Heather Watson in the third round at Wimbledon.

But whereas rivals in the calibre of her sister Venus and twice grand slam champion Victoria Azarenka managed to stretch Serena to three sets at the majors, delivering the killer punch seemed to be a feat beyond their capability.

It was left to a 43rd ranked, 300-1 long-shot to show the world that Serena Williams could be beaten.

The Vinci match was the top seed’s third three-setter at the US Open and the one that ended an amazing streak of 33 consecutive grand slam match wins.

“I made a couple of tight shots, to be honest, but maybe just about two,” she said in what seemed an understatement. “Other than that, I don’t think I was that tight.”

The six-times US Open champion uncorked 40 unforced errors, undercutting her 50 winners that included 16 aces.

“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 added.

“She did not want to lose today. Neither did I, incidentally.”

Vinci all smiles despite losing twice at US Open

Roberta Vinci of Italy reacts after defeating Serena Williams of the US in their women’s singles semi-final match at the US Open Championships tennis tournament in New York, 11 September 2015 - Reuters

Roberta Vinci, playing in her first grand slam singles final, lost twice at the US Open on Saturday after coming up short in an all-Italian clash against her closest friend on tour.

Vinci fell 7-6(4) 6-2 to Flavia Pennetta in an improbable all-Italian final but then lost something more important minutes later when her childhood friend embraced her at the net and told her she was retiring.

“I said to her, congratulation, Well done, enjoy. You played better than me today. That’s it,” said Vinci. “And she said, ‘This is my last match on the US Open, so now I have to speak and tell to everyone that this is my last match.

“I say, ‘No. That’s it?’”

So now for the first time since they were young girls, Vinci, 32, will be on tour without her 33-year-old compatriot and former doubles partner.

While climbing up through the junior ranks Pennetta and Vinci first played against each other when they were nine.

When they were teenagers they shared a flat in Rome and later were Fed Cup team mates and doubles partners for 50 events. Before the biggest match of their professional careers the two sat and chatted as they always do when they were spotted by tennis great Boris Becker who said: “You two know you are playing each other in a couple of hours?”

On the court it was all business but at the end of the day Vinci may well have been the happiest loser of a grand slam. The love and affection between the two finalists was genuine after the match, at one point Vinci even playfully grabbed the winner’s trophy.

“Maybe if you tell me this question in about more days, I can tell you,” said Vinci. “But now it’s strange. I didn’t expect this.

“I’m so happy that I reach the final. Against Flavia is strange, but I’m really happy, yeah, even when I lost.”

For one player at the end of her career and the other nearing the final curtain, their remarkable run through the Flushing Meadows will be but another bond. The duo pulled off a series of remarkable upsets to set up the first all-Italian grand slam final, most notably unseeded Vinci’s shock win over Serena Williams that denied the world number one a chance to complete a Calendar Grand Slam.

“Miracles can happen. Because I beat Serena, miracle,” said Vinci. “And then two Italians can reach the (same) grand slam final, a miracle.”