Unseeded Italian Roberta Vinci became the first woman through to the semi-finals of the US Open on Tuesday, outlasting Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic 6-3 5-7 6-4 on another sizzling hot day at Flushing Meadows.
The 32-year-old veteran showed off her fighting spirit while Mladenovic, a decade younger, wilted in the punishing conditions using up all of her medical timeouts during the two-hour, 32-minute test.
A doubles specialist with a career grand slam on her resume, Vinci moved onto the final four in singles at a major for the first time in her 18-year career.
She will take on the winner of the quarter-final Serena Williams.
"It's an amazing moment for me.
Unbelievable," beamed 43rd-ranked Vinci.
"My first semi-final in my career.
