Vinci plays Pennetta in surprise US Open women’s singles final

Once in a blue moon in sport you get freak results that mean surprise packages contest a major trophy, and that is definitely the case at Flushing Meadows where the final Grand Slam of 2015, the US Open, will be contested by two tournament outsiders.

For the first-time in the Open Era, there is an all-Italian affair in a tennis major with Coral making Flavia Pennetta odds-on at 4/9 to take the hard court crown in New York.

Either her or fellow 30-something Roberta Vinci, a 7/4 outsider despite sending shockwaves through the spot by knocking out Grand Slam great Serena Williams in the semis, will emulate Francesca Schiavone and become just the second woman from Italy to claim a major title in the Open Era.

Both ladies are gracing this grand stage on merit. Vinci has certainly been more fortunate than Pennetta en route to the final, as she only played a seed in WTA world number one Williams in the entire tournament. It is hardly hear fault, however, that other top pros flopped at Flushing Meadows.

Pennetta’s path to the brink of Grand Slam glory, meanwhile, has seen her dispatch 2011 US Open champ Sam Stosur, two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova and second seed Simona Halep during the second week of this tournament.

With one win apiece on hard courts, the head-to-head record isn’t much help to punters, but across all surfaces Pennetta holds a narrow 5-4 edge. Vinci fell well short in their only Grand Slam tournament meeting, the 2010 French Open, but another straight sets victory for Pennetta looks somewhat short here at 6/5.

Having raised their respective games, with Vinci heaping woe on Williams and Serena’s bid to win all four majors in the same calendar year, plus Pennetta humbling Halep, punters can expect this final to go the distance.