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Roberta Vinci: Five Things to Know About the Italian Tennis Player Who Ended Serena Williams’s Grand Slam Bid

Roberta Vinci
Roberta Vinci beat Serena Williams in the US Open women's semifinals on Friday, Sept. 11.

Veni, vidi, vici. Roberta Vinci beat out reigning tennis pro Serena Williams in the US Open women’s semifinals at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, N.Y., on Friday, Sept. 11, earning her a place in sports history for ending Williams’s Grand Slam bid — what would have been the first one in 27 years (and the Internet blamed her maybe-beau Drake for the defeat).

“When I woke up this morning, I told myself to enjoy it. You’re in the semifinal,” she told reporters following her historic win, adding that she’d booked herself a flight home for 10 p.m. Saturday in anticipation of a loss. “I didn’t expect that I’d win. So, okay, I lose to Serena today, and tomorrow I will go home.”

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The 32-year-old Taranto, Italy, native defeated Williams 2 to 6, 6 to 4, 6 to 4, and called the moment she delivered the final winning shot “a dream” and “the best moment” of her life. Find out more about the tennis pro below:

1. She Was Unseeded

Vinci’s win was all the more shocking because the player was unseeded, meaning that she wasn’t even ranked among the US Open’s top competitors. In fact, she was ranked 43rd in the world going into the competition. Williams was ranked No. 1.

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2. She’s Known for Her Backhand

Though it was a half-volley that ultimately won the match for Vinci, the Italian pro is best known for her backhand. “The one-hander is so hard; they play so strong now,” she said in an interview with the New York Times in 2014. “But I’m 31 and cannot change anymore.”

3. She Lost as Much as Serena Won

Vinci was the ultimate underdog going into this semifinals match, having as many losses (24) as Williams had wins (22) this decade. This was also Vinci’s first Grand Slam semifinals. Williams was playing her 47th.

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4. She’s Sorry (Not Sorry)

When interviewed immediately following her win, an ecstatic Vinci apologized to America, to fans of Williams, and to anyone who was listening. “Sorry guys, sorry!” she said. “But today is my day, sorry! Today’s the best moment of my life.”

5. She’ll Next Take On a Childhood Friend

Now that she’s defeated Williams and is moving on to the finals, Vinci will next play Flavia Pennetta, whom she’s known from childhood — and even roomed with briefly for four years at a tennis academy.

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