NEW YORK — In dramatic fashion, Serena Williams' quest for the Grand Slam is over.
At the hands of Italian Roberta Vinci, the world No. 48 and a major semifinalist for the first time at the age of 32, the American was stopped two matches short of making history in tennis for the first time since 1988.
Williams, plagued by errors and the stress of expectation, came unraveled against Vinci, whom she hadn't lost to in four previous encounters. Vinci won 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 before a shocked Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd.
Vinci earns a trip to the U.