NEW YORK — The Italian flag was waving proudly over the U.S. Open on Wednesday after Flavia Pennetta toppled fifth seed Petra Kvitova to join compatriot Roberta Vinci in the Flushing Meadows semi-finals.
Defying the odds and rankings, 30-somethings Pennetta and Vinci put their names in the record books by becoming the first two Italian women in the Open Era to advance to the last four of a grand slam.
"I think this is really important for our country. We did a lot of good things in the last 10 years. We have me, Roberta (Vinci), Francesca (Schiavone), Sara (Errani), now Camila (Giorgi) is coming also," Pennetta told reporters.