Roberta Vinci vs Flavia Pennetta – two Italians past their 30s, one seeded 26, the other unseeded – not the women's singles US Open 2015 final anyone would have predicted. However, having beaten the number one and two seeds in the semifinals, they certainly deserve to be here, and one, come the end of the match on Saturday, will be holding aloft her first singles Grand Slam title.
Vinci is coming off the upset of the US Open, roaring back from a set down to knock out Serena Williams and her calendar Grand Slam dreams, and while she would have gladly taken a final appearance in the singles at the US Open at the start of the tournament, she will also know how close she is to that dream first Grand Slam singles crown.
"It's incredible. It's incredible," Vinci said after her stunning win over Serena. "I'm 32, almost at the end of my career, and then I make the first US Open final in Grand Slam. I didn't expect this.
"I feel good right now. I can maybe touch the sky with my finger. It's tough to explain, because I don't have many -- maybe also in Italian the words that can I explain really, because it's amazing.
"Maybe if yesterday told me, Okay, tomorrow you can win against Serena, I say, Come on. Yesterday I called my travel agency to say, Okay, book me a flight, because you know... And then now I have my final tomorrow. So it's incredible, yeah."
It certainly is an incredible story, with Vinci and Pennetta, both accomplished doubles players, getting to the final of a Grand Slam together. The fact that an Italian will win the title on Saturday is something both of them and their country can be proud of, and it really is anybody's guess, which one of those Italians it will be.
"It will be a tough match for both," Vinci added. "I think a lot of pressure [as well]. But we know each other for a long time. I played against her three or four years ago and I lost on the center court.
"I remember that I was completely scared, like a little bit blocked. I didn't play. I didn't play in that case. So I hope that [in the final]-- of course I will do my best. But I will like to play. To play, enjoy, enjoy and to play my game, and not so stressed or tight. Because it's a finals. It's normal. Come on. Enjoy. That's it."
Pennetta will probably go into this final as the slight favourite, even if Vinci picked up the bigger win in the semifinal. Pennetta was quite impressive against Halep, always finding a way to win the big points, particularly when she was up against it and facing a break point.
If Pennetta plays tennis of a similar vein again and Vinci brings that it-was-good-enough-to-beat-Serena game as well, we are in for a cracker of a women's singles final at the 2015 US Open.
Where to Watch Live
Flavia Pennetta vs Roberta Vinci is is scheduled for a not before 3 pm local time (12.30 am IST, 8 pm BST) start. Ten Sports is the channel to watch this women's singles final live in India. The final can also be watched via live streaming online on Ten Sports Live.
Audience in the UK can watch the final live on Sky Sports, while the online live streaming option is on Sky Sports Sky Go. US viewers can watch Pennetta vs Vinci live on ESPN, while the live stream option is on Watch ESPN.
Viewers in Australia can watch Vinci vs Pennetta Live on Fox sports, while all the semifinal action can also be live streamed on Foxtel Play.
