Serena Williams was able to conquer a tough task by defeating her sister in the quarterfinals of the US Open, but she was unable to complete the single-calendar-year Grand Slam as she lost to Roberta Vinci in the semifinal round today.
Williams, the top-seeded women’s player in the world, lost to the unseeded Vinci two sets to one. Vinci will face 26th-ranked Flavia Pennetta in the finals on Saturday at 3 p.m.
The younger Williams sister was the favorite to win the tournament after defeating Vitalia Diatchenko, Kiki Bertens, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Madison Keys and her sister, Venus, before falling to Vinci.
Prior to the start of the US Open, Nike unveiled its on-court shoes for the 33-year-old tennis superstar, the NikeCourt Flare, in stores now. The shoe features a drop-in midsole and minimal upper construction, as well as a neoprene ankle cuff.
“I was having issues rolling my ankle,” Williams said in a statement in July. “So I wanted to create a shoe that would give me a lot of stability and make me a better player.”
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Another Nike-sponsored tennis star, eighth-ranked Rafael Nadal, also lost in the year’s US Open, falling to 32nd-ranked Fabio Fognini in the third round of the tournament, three sets to two.
