‘She has nothing to lose’: Serena Williams wary of Roberta Vinci in US Open semi-final

Serena Williams takes on unseeded Italian Roberta Vinci in the US Open sem-finals on Thursday night, aiming to take a step closer to the calendar grand slam.

Serena Williams is two victories away from a calendar grand slam. Jewel Samad / AFP

Serena Williams takes on unseeded Italian Roberta Vinci in the US Open semi-finals on Thursday night, aiming to take a step closer to the calendar grand slam.

Surprise

Roberta Vinci, 32, is the surprise face in the last four at Flushing Meadows. The world No 43 defeated Kristina Mladenovic 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in Tuesday’s quarter-final. Vinci has not beaten a seeded player to get to this stage in the tournament, having had a fourth-round bye after 25th-seeded Eugenie Bouchard pulled out with concussion, while No 3 seed Maria Sharapova, who was in her section of the draw, pulled out with injury before the event started.

Focus

The win over Mladenovic was a tense affair, highlighted by a 26-point game in the seventh game of the final set, and Vinci, who is more renowned for her doubles skills, having been part of five grand slam doubles winning teams, said her biggest goal was to remain focused. “On my mind, I say, ‘Play every single point’,” Vinci said. “Don’t think about the results. Don’t think about the quarter-final. Oh, maybe I go to the semis. Don’t think about that. Play aggressive. That’s it. Try to stay calm.”

Underdog

Vinci now goes up against Williams, who is bidding to complete a calendar grand slam, having already won the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon this year. The pair have met four times, all won by Williams in straight sets, with the most recent occasion being in Toronto last month.

Streak goes on

Williams who is targeting her fifth successive major title, having won last year’s US Open, beat sister Venus Williams 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 in their quarter-final on Tuesday night. Of her 33rd successive win at a grand slam, Williams said her sibling had pushed her hard. “I was on defence a lot because she had so much power,” she said. “It wasn’t really easy today at all.”

No easy test

Williams, despite her strong record against Vinci, says she will be in for a stern test tonight. “I’m not going to underestimate her,” Williams said of Vinci. “She’s going to present a completely different game than my last three matches, four matches. She has nothing to lose. I don’t, either. So we’re just going to go out and have a lot of fun.”

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