Flavia Pennetta sat in the main interview room at the United States Open an hour after her stunning semifinal romp over No. 2-seeded Simona Halep, as Serena Williams smoothly won the first set of her semifinal match against 43rd-ranked Roberta Vinci.
Pennetta, 33, who cruised to a 6-1, 6-3 victory to reach her first Grand Slam final, was asked to assess Williams, her presumed opponent in the final.
“Against Serena?” the 26th-seeded Pennetta asked. “I mean, you never know. They are still fighting, and they are still playing.”
Pennetta’s perfunctory pause proved prudent.