Sara Errani swept through to her first ever semi-final at the US Open after defeating compatriot Roberta Vinci in straight sets.
Tenth seed overcomes her doubles partner to reach last four
Sara Errani swept through to her first ever semi-final at the US Open after defeating compatriot, doubles partner and best friend Roberta Vinci in straight sets.
The French Open runner-up became the first Italian woman in the Open era to make the US Open semi-finals.
Errani, the 10th seed, who was runner-up at Roland Garros to Maria Sharapova this year, defeated the 20th-seeded Vinci 6-2, 6-4 after 72 minutes winning an impressive 85 per cent of his first serves along the way.
Errani was playing in her third Grand Slam quarter-final of the year while Vinci, four years older, was making her debut in a last-eight at a major at the 32nd time of asking.
Experience
The pair have won seven doubles titles in 2012, a haul which includes the French Open, but it was Errani's greater big-match experience which proved decisive.
Errani broke in the first and seventh games of the first set, taking the opener on a fourth set point with Vinci undone by 21 unforced errors.
The 25-year-old Errani took a crucial break, the fifth of the set, to lead 5-4 in the second set and wrap up the tie when Vinci netted a service return, her 37th and final error of the match.
"It's always hard to play against a friend and it was strange seeing her on the other side of the net," said Errani, who already has four tour singles titles to her name this year.
"I am happy to get to the final. Can I win the title? I will tell you in three or four days."
She will now go on to face three-time champion Serena Williams for a place in the final.
