No sooner had Serena Williams got her hands on the Venus Rosewater Dish than the focus of the tennis world immediately switched to the US Open and the quest for that elusive Calendar Year Grand Slam.

Once in New York, everything appeared to be going to plan for Williams, who cleared the opening five hurdles with increasing confidence. Meanwhile her principal rivals were falling like dominos. When No.2 seed Simona Halep lost to Flavia Pennetta in the first semifinal, Williams’ path to the title appeared clear. However, her own final four foe, Roberta Vinci, had not read the script.

When Vinci stepped onto Arthur Ashe the crowd was unequivocally not on her side. Two hours and one heart-warming interview later, it was eating out of the palm of her hand.

By the time she handed the microphone back to ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi following her stunning upset of the World No.1, any animosity felt towards Vinci had completely dissipated. Won over by her gallant display on the court and charmed by her effervescent personality off it, Flushing Meadows had a new darling.

In her four previous encounters with Williams, Vinci had failed to win a set. Expectation levels going into their fifth meeting were low. So much so that in a candid post-match press conference the Italian even confessed that she had booked her flight home to coincide with the final.

This move appeared a prescient one when the World No.43 dropped a one-sided first set, but as the contest wore on belief started to course through her veins. After ending one marvelous exchange midway through the final set by poking away a volley, she cupped a hand to one ear, imploring the Arthur Ashe faithful to put their partisanship to one side. By the time she crossed the finishing line a couple of games later they had.

“That a lot of the public were for her is normal,” Vinci said. “But the crowd was amazing all match. Also, for me at the end, a lot of them were supporting me too, no? It was a nice feeling!”

The magnitude of the achievement was not lost on Vinci, who was appearing in the last four of a major for the first time. She also became just the eighth player ranked outside the Top 40 to beat a World No.1 at a major.

“For me it’s an amazing moment. It’s incredible. I have so many things in my mind right now! It was an incredible match. I lost the first set, but I still tried to stay aggressive. In the end I was serving and it felt impossible, but I tried to stay focused and not think about the match or Serena’s incredible play.

“It’s the best moment of my life.”