Flavia Pennetta claimed a first Grand Slam singles title with a 7-6(4), 6-2 win over Roberta Vinci in an improbable all-Italian US Open final on Saturday to cap an extraordinary fortnight packed with upsets.
Pennetta topped off one of the most surprising US Open women's tournaments ever with a shock announcement - that she was retiring from tennis after completing her greatest victory.
"Before I start this tournament one month ago I take a big decision in my life," she said before hoisting the trophy and accepting the $3.3 million winner's check.
"This is the way I would like to say goodbye to tennis. I'm really happy. Is what all the players seem to want to do, to go out with this big trophy home.
"And so this one was my last match at the US Open and I couldn't think to finish a better way," she added.
Pennetta, 33, becomes the fourth oldest Grand Slam winner in the Open Era and joins 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone as the only Italian women to win a major title.
The match was set up by jaw-dropping upsets as unseeded Vinci knocked off world number one Serena Williams in the semi-finals to end the 33-year-old American's quest for a calendar year Grand Slam.
Pennetta's path to the final included two huge hurdles which she cleared with confidence in taking down Czech fifth seed Petra Kvitova in the quarter-finals and Romanian second seed Simona Halep in the semi-finals.
