Roberta Vinci was a 30-1 underdog versus Serena Williams this morning.

[lovemydog]

Last edited Fri Sep 11, 2015, 07:49 PM - Edit history (1)

All my friends here at DU, do not give up hope. Keep on trying. Have a lovely weekend.

Edited to correct the odds. Da Vinci was 300-1 to win the whole tournament. 30-1 this morning to win this match.

[elleng]

1. YES, lovey!!!

THAT's Italian!!!

[CTyankee]

58. My daughter and her tennis buddy scored tickets and chose to watch Federer (I guess she thought

Serena was a slam dunk). She's probably kicking herself today...Federer was great but Serena losing, wow...oh, well, she got a nice "girls weekend" in NY while hubby stayed home with the kids...

[tularetom]

2. Good advice for everyone

And the 1/8 of me that is Italian cheers the fact that we will witness an all-Italian women's final in the US Open.

[randys1]

3. I remember watching Lendl, Jimmy, John and of course Bjorn. Now those were the days

[Codeine]

6. Back when people didn't shout with every swing.

Good times.

[randys1]

8. You arent familiar with John McEnroe I See

[Codeine]

10. Bu-dum-TISH!

[Chitown Kev]

55. Or Monica Seles

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[BeyondGeography]

56. Could only stomach Connors much later

Watching Ashe and Orantes (no one saw that coming) upset him in the Wimbledon and US finals were two great days for me. I see someone here is bitching about upsets, btw, which makes me laugh. Sports would be fractionally as interesting without them.

[KamaAina]

4. So you think Vegas had the fix in?

I have no other explanation for this crapfest. I was hoping what's-her-face would finally shut up all the haters who called her "unfeminine", accused her of doping, and so on. But your cute little underdog trashed that hope.

[Codeine]

7. She's so not the type to take a fall.

And she's insanely wealthy -- there's no payoff big enough.

[lovemydog]

9. I doubt it.

Serena is one of the all-time greats. I sincerely doubt she's influenced by Vegas. It's nice seeing a wonderful Italian woman, who apologized for beating the great Serena, get some love too. Never give up!

[former9thward]

15. People love to think Vegas controls everything.

Vegas makes its money off the bet, not on who wins or loses. It makes the same amount of money if Williams had won or lost.

[KamaAina]

16. I would, however, be interested to know if anyone had a large sum of money bet on the pipsqueak

and who.

[demmiblue]

20. "cute little underdog", pipsqueak"... you need to check yourself.

These are not terms that women generally appreciate. Especially when directed toward a woman who beat the best female tennis player in the world. She is neither of those, she is fierce.

[KamaAina]

22. I had no idea there was any sort of gender connotation to "pipsqueak"

as for "cute", I'm simply ing over the lovefest for someone who just ruined a great moment not only for sports but for America.

[Codeine]

27. How did she ruin either of those things?!

An underdog beating a player of Serena's caliber is by definition a truly great moment! The greatest sports legends are built around David beating Goliath.

Was she supposed to roll over so Williams could achieve a lofty benchmark? Of course not!! That's absurd. You have to play your heart out and work as hard as you can; to do otherwise is to disrespect your opponent and yourself.

I get it -- Serena is amazing. I love her and her sister and their story is an inspiration. But damn, her opponent played the game of her life! Don't belittle her, and don't belittle what will undoubtedly be one of the greatest achievements of her life. That's small. Small weak sauce.

[Kingofalldems]

34. She did her best and won.

Oh, now I get it. Nevermind.

[cwydro]

57. Wow seriously?

I'm a tennis player and a longtime fan as well. I love Serena, but these are the moments that make our sports worthwhile.

How can you say she "ruined" anything? Are you that jingoistic that an American HAS to win the Open.

I watched a 16 year old Chrissie Evert beat Margaret Court at a tournament at my tennis club when I was her age.

Margaret Court was my favorite, and I was furious lol.

The rest is history.

[OldTime]

76. I think that is why they actually play the game

Otherwise they could have just given her the trophy and the prize money a week ago...

[Nye Bevan]

26. +1 (nt)

[underahedgerow]

47. Only the astute who could see that SW is utterly exhausted. It's been a grueling tournament, she's

been playing non-stop since the beginning of the year in addition to all her other work. It takes a toll, she hasn't been home in months, living out of a dozen suitcases. In all her interviews she's been saying that all she wants to do is sleep!

Would have been a good bet to make, just based on her physical condition... I'm very sad she lost!

She's got more touring and events for the rest of the year, I hope she takes a break and catches her breath!

[a la izquierda]

50. What the fuck is wrong with you?

Good grief.

[Codeine]

31. Crapfest?! What the fuck?

That was a magnificent game. Nobody has some divine right to win. Vinci worked her ass off for every point.

Crapfest my ass!

[KamaAina]

32. The Super Bowl was a magnificent game, too.

If you were from Seattle, you would undoubtedly refer to it as a "crapfest". Or worse.

[Codeine]

35. I'm a fan of a few sports.

I'm a huge soccer fanatic, and I've seen my national side defeated soundly many times. It's only a "crapfest" if my boys play badly (earlier this week vs Brazil) or there's a series of biased, bad calls. If we play well but the other team plays better, then it's a good game that we just happened to lose.

Serena played wonderfully. Vinci played even more wonderfully. It was a perfect, exciting, thrilling game. My favorite lost, but I'll be damned if I call that a crapfest.

[KamaAina]

44. "It's only a "crapfest" if my boys play badly"

My girl made 40 -- 40 -- unforced errors, against an opponent ranked about 3,000th in the world. I would hardly call that "wonderfully".

[Codeine]

46. She was ranked 43. She's been as high as 11.

She's won multiple Grand Slam doubles titles. Given her small stature she competes remarkable well.

Why the hell are you trying to run this person down so viciously?! "Nobody", "ranked 3000", "pipsqueak", "cute".

And Williams' game usually includes errors; she's a high-risk player who has a game so powerful she overcomes her opponents regardless.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

48. Are you ok?

Your posts have been utterly bizarre and you apparently can't even bother to learn the name of anyone in the match, so why the hell do you care again?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

62. Vinci is not fast enough to win fairly, ...

... so she must have had the balls deflated, to slow them down.

KamaAina, did you have money on Serena? Why are you so upset by this outcome of a sporting event? The outcome of sporting events is not predetermined, that's why the competitors actually have to play the game.

[KamaAina]

80. Oh, puh-leeze.

She had nothing to do with the balls. She jammed the other player's headsets.

And your non-predetermined outcome had an entire subnation full of tRump-loving racist pigs jumping up and down in celebration. Along with way too many people here.

[spanone]

5. if she made it to the semis, the odds are screwn

[malaise]

11. I'm still in shock

USTA has taken a serious blow here - who will show up for this final??

By the way everything related to tennis this week soured with that horrific attack on James Blake by the NYPD.

[lovemydog]

12. Every now and then a great match breaks out.

And p.s. I don't mean to minimize what happened to James Blake by the NYPD.

I just love the beauty in great sports.

Look at this incredible point:

[Cal Carpenter]

13. Yeah, that's right when I started streaming

Thought I'd catch the end of a blowout while I ate lunch, saw that point and was like "what the fuck is going on here/>!!?!"

I'm generally a root-for-the-underdog person no matter who it is, but I was really rooting for Serena to get the grand slams this year. Oh well.

What a crazy day!

[lovemydog]

17. Yeah, I was rooting for Serena too.

I just love and appreciate all great sports play.

And I love how Roberta said she didn't even consider she would win. She just told herself to keep hitting the ball back and keep running. I love that.

[Codeine]

14. Holy shit. She was unstoppable.

That's some of the best play I've ever seen in the woman's game.

[lovemydog]

18. Ikr.

Match point was pretty great too.

[hfojvt]

74. not me

the video was gone before I got to see it

copyrights and such

[malaise]

19. I watched the entire match

Vinci really played well and as I said I was shocked.

[TeeYiYi]

21. That was a great point...

You can read Vinci's lips... She's saying something like, "Come on! I'm working my ass off!"

I was stunned and depressed over Serena's loss but you've got to hand it to Roberta Vinci. She was crazy good today and played with a lot of heart.

TYY

[Skittles]

51. I have a prediction

next time they meet, Serena will kick her ass

[LeftOfWest]

53. me too still in shock.

James Blake throwdown, am angry malaise.

USTA comment, yes agree too.

[kelliekat44]

23. Great match. Serena is human and still one of the greatest tennis players of all time.

She was beaten by a lesser player who used Serena's weaknesses (coming to the net) to stay in the game and win when Serena erred. One can usually beat a superior with finesse and focus. NC used to beat all the better basketball teams by just merely holding on to the ball until the rules were changed and they were forced to play. It was a strategy the Dean Smith used to the teams advantage. Vinci used her finesse of the net to stun Serena who always plays for the hard returns. My bet is she will correct this weakness in the future. In the meantime, Vinci deserves all the accolades for accomplishing what few others have been able to do. Hat's off to her.

Serena still has my respect for her outstanding talent.

[Codeine]

28. She's still the greatest female player in history,

in my opinion. But hats off to Vinci for one hell of a performance.

[davidn3600]

24. Ticket resale prices for the women's final have now crashed

After tennis superstar Serena Williams was ousted in the semifinals Friday and lost her chance at a Grand Slam, ticket prices for the women's final dropped dramatically -- and quickly.

The resale price of tickets for Saturday's final was as low as $50 -- a drastic decline from prices while Williams was still a contender.

According to TiqIQ, a ticket tracking site, at the start of Williams' match with Roberta Vinci, the average ticket price was $1,411.98, and the lowest tickets were going for $271. That's more than what tickets for the men's final cost.

Shortly after Williams lost, the average price dropped to $1,103.14 and the lowest price was $124.

Less than 10 minutes later, prices fell even more to $876.23 and $70. And they kept falling. Two hours after the match, the cheapest tickets could be bought for $50.

http://money.cnn.com/2015/09/11/news/serena-williams-us-open-ticket-prices/index.html?section=money_topstories

Ouch.

[Nye Bevan]

25. I wish I'd placed a bet.

And I wish I had bought Bitcoin in 2011.

[a kennedy]

29. I'm sick.......wanted her to win it all. The Grand Slam shoot......

and she's not getting any younger either. I feel so sad for her too. Wish now if she was going to loose it should have been against her sister. JMHO.

[kelliekat44]

42. She has won the grand slam. Just not grand slam within same year! nt

[DanTex]

30. That was one of the great sports post-match interviews. The odds weren't 300-1 though.

Vinci was great in the interview, but the 300-1 thing was a mistake by the interviewer. The were actually 30-1 or 25-1. I think 300-1 might have been the odds on Vinci to win the tournament from the start or something like that.

Here's a link to a post before the match discussing the odds.
http://www.allsportsnews.co.uk/news/tennis-betting-tips/37119/serena-williams-vs-roberta-vinci-betting-preview-with-bet365-odds-and-our-tips-and-prediction

[lovemydog]

33. Oh, thanks DanTex.

My bad.

Yes, great interview.

I especially love the latter half of it after Vinci had collected her thoughts a bit.

[DanTex]

36. I love how she won over the NY crowd. So genuinely happy and shocked by her win.

Yeah I heard the 300-1 thing and was kind of surprised, those are HUGE odds, so I googled.

Whatever the odds, this was an upset for the ages. Serena is a great champion, best women's tennis player ever IMO, and I was rooting for the grand slam, but I was also rooting for the upset at the same time. I was kinda watching the first two sets on and off online, and when it got to the third, I decided, OK, I gotta watch this. Glad I did.

[lovemydog]

38. Yes, the NY crowd was cheering for Serena.

Yet she was so gracious and friendly in her interview.

No doubt Serena is an amazing champion.

It's nice seeing the challenges these players face.

Every player is playing against another who wants to win very badly.

That Serena has decimated so many opponents - it speaks to her hard work and also her mental and emotional fortitude.

[Baitball Blogger]

37. Amazing victory speech.

[lovemydog]

39. So humble & witty.

And an all-Italian Women's Final for the U.S. Open!

[colsohlibgal]

40. Vinci Is A Fun Neat Lady.

And....I love Venus. She is sweet win or lose. Serena can get petulant when things go badly. What she said to that Asian judge a few years ago was regrettable. So I have not really been a fan of hers since.

I give Vinci a lot of credit. The one lady in the last few years who had the firepower to go toe to toe with Serena just won't and that's Sharapova. Vinci is though a clever player with a lot of doubles success who did not play scared.

Should be a fun final and I would give the edge to Penneta. Either way Italy will be happy.

[lovemydog]

41. She sure is.

I've been watching some of her highlights from other matches on youtube.

Now I'll look up Penneta.

In addition to being so physically demanding, this level of tennis requires so much mental fortitude. I love how Vinci handled that pressure. Her legs must have been feeling like jello during that last set. Just to get the damn serves into the right spot - I've seen plenty of people wilt under that pressure when they're ahead.

Serena is without question one of the all-time greats. This loss doesn't take away from that, even in the slightest.

I love Venus too!

[CTyankee]

59. She really was "in the moment," according to what she was saying...

champions have that ability...it's terrific...

[Snow Leopard]

43. classy fans

very nice to see!

[KamaAina]

45. Oh, the nobody was only 30-1, not 300-1 as you had posted.

Gee, that makes me feel a lot better!

[Kingofalldems]

66. She's not a 'nobody' anymore, is she?

[KamaAina]

68. Well, neither is James "Buster" Douglas

oh, wait, he kind of is.

[Codeine]

70. For actual tennis fans she wasn't a "nobody" before.

She's been a respected and successful doubles player for a long time.

[Kingofalldems]

78. Perfectly stated.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

49. According to some here, sporting events should simply be awarded to the favorite

Just meet at home plate or the 50 yard line or center court, check the latest line in the newspaper, shake hands and go home.

[Fumesucker]

52. Sort of like primaries that way

[Codeine]

64. I was taken aback by the vitriol.

For whatever reason there seemed to e actual hatred emanating from one of these posters.

[hfojvt]

77. not really about the favorite

but when you are rooting for somebody and have the expectation that the person you are rooting for is going to win, then you are unlikely to celebrate when the opposite happens. In fact, you are more likely to be pissed off.

Watching other people celebrate is not likely to improve your mood either.

Imagine Clinton supporters if Bernie wins the primary.

A fan wants to see a good result more than they want to see a good match.

Seattle-New England was a much more exciting superbowl than Seattle-Denver, but fans of Seattle mostly liked the Denver game much better.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

79. I suspect there's truth in thaat

I suppose it's even more so when they don't watch the sport unless their favorite is involved.

[romanic]

54. I'm not into tennis at all

but it was a great match between two great athletes. Serena was so close to making history and loss which is why she was understandably disappointed, but all in all it was a great moment in the sport I think. Vinci is such a sweetheart and a true underdog.

[bigwillq]

60. Congrats on 8,000 posts!

[lovemydog]

65. Hey, thanks bigwillq.

Hope you're enjoying a good weekend!

[joeybee12]

61. Roberta had a flight booked home today...

Hah! She had to re-book...guess she figured the semis was good enough!

[lovemydog]

67. Wow, that's funny.

Martina Hingis once won an early round at the U.S. Open 6-0, 6-0 and split really fast. The next day they asked her why and she replied 'I had to see The Cure at Madison Square Garden!'

[joeybee12]

69. Gotta have priorities!

[KamaAina]

63. I blame tRump.

He was there, after all.

[demmiblue]

71. Trump always belittles and denigrates women's achievments.

Though, there are probably some women he admires (somewhere out there), so he wouldn't dare degenerate them.

[KamaAina]

72. Indeed there are.

[demmiblue]

73. Whoosh.

Edit: If you don't think he denigrated his daughter by the various statements he has made about her in the past, then... you truly do not understand.

[lpbk2713]

75. I can't help but wonder ...

Did anyone in his blood line ever get up close and personal with a pig?