US Open Tennis 2015 Schedule: Saturday TV Coverage and Live Stream Guide
Unseeded underdog Roberta Vinci will face off against compatriot Flavia Pennetta in the women's final of this year's U.S. Open, which will be the first all-Italian final of the Open era.
Vinci claimed a dramatic comeback victory over Serena Williams on Friday, defeating the American 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to deny her a calendar Grand Slam in what will undoubtedly be regarded as one of modern tennis' greatest upsets.
Meanwhile Jamie Murray and John Peers will take on the partnership of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in Saturday's men's doubles final.
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Read on for all the vital timing and schedule information ahead of Saturday's double-header, along with preview of a women's final that very few might have expected to see.
Date: Saturday, September 12
Round(s): Women's Final at 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET; Men's Doubles Final at 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET
TV Info: Sky Sports 2 (UK), ESPN (US)
Live Stream: Sky Go app (UK), WatchESPN (US)
A Final of Firsts
Not only will Saturday's climax be the first time a Grand Slam final has been contested between two Italians, it will also be the first major final for both contenders Pennetta, 33, and Vinci, 32.
So while Williams' historic calendar Grand Slam might have been momentous to witness, tennis writer Chris Goldsmith is right to acknowledge the importance of unpredictability at the summit of the sport:
It's especially surprising that both players should break that duck so late in their careers, too, and with a combined age of 65, one can bet both will be giving their all to secure a major triumph before bowing out.
Podcaster Dave Gertler even suggested it was time for Vinci to retire prior to this week's astonishing turnaround in fortune, but the veteran has returned to prove there's life in her career yet:
Neither path to the final was an easy one. For Vinci, it meant taking out the likes of Eugenie Bouchard and Kristina Mladenovic as well as Williams, while Pennetta had to overcome the challenges of Samantha Stosur, Petra Kvitova and finally Simona Halep before clinching her spot in the last two.
Per WTA Insider, the older Pennetta leads her countrywoman 5-4 in career meetings up until now, but the pair are tied 1-1 on hard court, with Vinci having lost their last encounter at the 2013 U.S. Open:
It sets in place an uneasy dynamic ahead of Saturday's meeting. Having played as a doubles duet in the past, each player will have some degree of familiarity with their upcoming opponent.
All sentiment will be put to one side on Saturday, of course, but Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times throws more nostalgia out in the open, posting an image of VInci and Pennetta winning a youth tournament together as teens:
In a sport that can be so often dominated by the same in-form faces, it's rather refreshing to see the odds be torn apart in such carefree manner as Vinci and Pennetta seek to leave their mark on the U.S. Open.
Saturday will see one of the most cherished accolades in tennis declared by a dark horse, with two Italian mares in the running to emerge from the pack and complete an audacious fairytale win.
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