Following her hard-fought three-set victory over Carina Witthoeft, the charismatic Roberta Vinci sat down with the press to discuss the roller-coaster contest and the pressure she’s had to face in her return to Flushing Meadows, having reached the heights of reaching her first Grand Slam singles final and ending Serena Williams’ bid for the Calendar Grand Slam in the process.
Vinci Admits Nerves Got the Better of Her Late in the Second Set
After taking the opening set 6-0, Vinci appeared to be well on her way to claiming another dominant victory before Witthoeft fought back from being on the verge of defeat to impressively take the second set, 7-5. What initially appeared to be a routine victory was anything but for the Italian, who admitted nerves played a major part in her failure to close out the match late in the second set, before eventually regrouping to edge the German 6-0, 5-7, 6-3.
“Well I played a great first set, 6-0, but there was always tight [games],” Vinci noted.
“The second set was 5-3-up, 5-4, 30-0, and so many chance[s] to win the match. I lost that game, and then a little bit [of] confusion and a little bit nervous. I lost the second set.”
“[In] my mind I say, ‘Okay. Forget the second set. Try to play like the first set.’ Yeah, I won. She’s a great player. I never play against her, so [it] was [the] first match between us.”
“She’s young, but I think she played a great match,” concluded the world number eight.
Throughout the match, Vinci used her drop shot to devastating effect, catching Witthoeft more often than not off guard or flat footed while under pressure. A shot she has effectively used throughout her career, the drop shot has been a staple of Vinci’s game style, which revolves around spin rather than power.
“I play like this for a long time when I was young, so I love to play this kind of tennis,” she said. “I don’t have a two-hand[ed] backhand, so this is my tennis.”
“I love to play like this.”
Vinci on Rankings, Pressure in Return to Flushing Meadows
In her return to Flushing Meadows, Vinci has had to deal with the weight of expectation firmly placed on her shoulders, having ended Serena Williams’ quest for the Calendar Grand Slam last year, and making her first major singles final in 44 main draw appearances in the process. Aware of the pressure she faces every time she steps on the court, Vinci is trying to enjoy what could be her final year on tour.
“A lot of pressure, of course, but I try to enjoy, to play match by match, don’t think that I have a lot of points to defend, just play my tennis, and play aggressive,” Vinci said when asked what approach she has taken following the highs of last year’s tournament.
“Right now I won three great matches and stay focused for the next round. We will see. I know it’s tough to repeat the final like last year, but you never know.”
While some players say they don’t think about their ranking when they play, Vinci admits talk about ranking always linger at the back of her mind, but she has her sights firmly set on what needs to be done in her fourth-round match against Lesia Tsurenko, with her ranking the least of her worries for the time being.
