Flavia Pennetta beat Roberta Vinci in an all-Italian U.S. Open final at Flushing Meadows to become the oldest first-time grand slam champion in the Open era.
Vinci pulled off arguably the biggest shock in tennis history by ending Serena Williams' quest to claim her first calendar Grand Slam at the semifinal stage in New York on Friday.
MORE: A tournament of stunning upsets | Best images from the U.S. Open
But that was as good as it got for the unseeded world No. 43, as her longtime friend and Fed Cup teammate Pennetta prevailed 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium to celebrate her finest hour at the age of 33.
Pennetta, deciding to leave tennis on top, announced upon winning the U.S. Open that she would retire from the sport.