WUHAN, China — Venus Williams did what her sister Serena couldn't do, beating Roberta Vinci on Friday after saving a match point in the semifinals of the Wuhan Open.
The unseeded Williams won 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (4) after Vinci came from 4-1 down in the final set but failed to serve out the match when leading 6-5, 40-30. She clinched the victory when Vinci missed a forehand wide.
Before Friday's match, Williams, who earned her 700th career victory to reach the quarterfinals, had never dropped a set against the Italian veteran — who ended little sister Serena's chances of a calendar-year Grand Slam in the U.