Kristina Mladenovic took on Roberta Vinci in the first quarter-final offering at the US Open in New York on Tuesday, where both women looked to book their first ever place in a Grand Slam semi-final.
The unseeded pair opened tightly, but Vinci produced a break at the vital moment on her way to taking the opening set 6-3.
Youngster Mladenovic had not given up hope, however, as she battled straight back to pull level following a nail-biting end to the second set.
With the two players going into a third and final decider, Vinci perhaps profited from her experience as she broke late before holding out to seal a place in the last four.
Relive all of the action from Flushing Meadows with our game-by-game coverage below.
Good afternoon everyone and welcome to our live coverage as Kristina Mladenovic takes on Roberta Vinci in the first quarter-final of the US Open at Flushing Meadows.
This quarter-final was always going to be an interesting one given that Maria Sharapova had to pull out and Ana Ivanovic went out early on in the showpiece, but these two women have battled brilliantly to get here. They will be facing each other on the historic Arthur Ashe court in the next 15 minutes or so...
This should be a really interesting spectacle this afternoon, given that both of these players are battling to appear in their first ever Grand Slam semi-final with a victory today.
Mladenovic has perhaps had the harder of the two battles as she had to overcome number 13 seed Ekaterina Makarova in the fourth round. France's underdog won that game with a 7-6(2) 4-6 6-1 triumph over three sets.
As for Vinci, the Italian was given a more easier pass after Eugenie Bouchard had to withdraw through injury during their last-16 clash earlier in the week. The Italian is competing in her third US Open quarter-final today.
This will be a first career fixture between Vinci and Mladenovic, with the latter experiencing an impressive summer. Mladenovic has climbed 41 places from her ranking at the start of the year and will move into the women's top 30 when the new standings are announced next week.
Both players are now out on the court at Ashe and are running through their warmups as we speak.
These ladies will do a good job of managing the heat in New York today. Weather experts are expecting temperatures to peak into the 90s at some point on Tuesday. At 22 years of age, Mladenovic might just shade this on the fitness side of things. The youngster has also had to play a few more sets than Vinci, meaning that she has had the chance to get her eye in and experience the latter stages of these pressurised games at Flushing.
Vinci's game has lots of variety to it, and that could play a part in the outcome as she seeks to outwit the towering Mladenovic. The umpire calls for two minutes - we are almost ready to go!
Here we go then, Vinci to open the game...
Not the best start for Vinci as she opens up with a double fault. Almost comical next up from Mladenovic who bangs one into the stands. Vinci is soon back on her game with an ace, which is followed by crushing forehand across the court. Her French opponent responds with a wonderful cut down the line, but concedes the game when she produces an error on the backhand.
BREAK! Vinci continues with good work to move 40-0 ahead on her opponent's service game, a special backhand volley winner coming off Mladenovic's opening serve. Vinci wraps up the all-important break when Mladenovic fails on the forehand.
The Italian has come flying out of the traps and she moves ahead 40-15 with strong work on the serve, backed up by some good pressure tennis on the attack. Vinci closes out her hold when Mladenovic spoons a poor backhand beyond.
Power from Vinci this time as she returns Mladenovic's serve back down the line to open the scores, but France's hopeful comes back into it when Vinci falls flat on her forehand. Mladenovic goes ahead with an ace that requires a challenge, only for the youngster to shoot herself in the foot with a double fault. Vinci cannot return from deep next up, leaving Mladenovic to close out an important hold when another Italian return finds the net.
Deft from Vinci! The Italian sees Mladenovic charging so instead she scoops across the court to catch her cold, before the Frenchwoman does exactly the same to the Italian on the next play. Vinci eventually powers through to hold when Mladenovic's backhand is wayward twice in a row.
Vinci misjudges off Mladenovic and sees the ball drop fair behind her when a return is clearly on. The 22-year-old moves unchallenged through to 40-0 and takes her second hold of the contest when Vinci is unable to return service.
Great mixture of serve from Vinci as he serve and volley sees her crush Mladenovic deep. A bit of luck at the net brings a wayward return from her French opponent at 30-15, and the game is soon rattled out when Vinci works well on the smash before Mladenovic throws the game with a long return.
Mladenovic improves her footing slightly to produce a service winner, which is followed by a Vinci error. The Frenchwoman charges through to 40-0 and finishes things off by forcing Vinci to fail on the backhand.
SET! Great counter-attacking play sees Mladenovic pull back level with a smash down the line, but fails on a wide challenge to give Vinci a lead. The Italian delivers a telling forehand to establish set point, which she takes when Mladenovic cuts a response into the net.
Mladenovic opens up the second set, only to be undone by great placement from the Italian at 15-15. The Frenchwoman responds with a crunching forehand across the court that has Vinci scrambling, although a poor follow up wide down the line draws Vinci back level. Mladenovic holds her nerve, however, after a backhand winner and a cheap return from her opponent.
Trouble for Vinci as she gives away a 40-0 lead off her own service, the Italian succumbing to some huge forehands from her opponent. Vinci comes back into it with more adroit placement into the corners, and she soon draws deuce despite being three break points down when Mladenovic goes wide and long. Deuce continues for what seems like an age, before Vinci completes a vital hold after two errors from the youngster.
BREAK! A couple of errors see the players tied early on, but Mladenovic then tries to force it only to go long and concede. Vinci chops a poor return wide to bring things to 30-30, before more dodgy shots from both players eventually bring deuce. Some luck at the net gives Vinci break point, which she then takes as Mladenovic finds the mesh from close range. Poor from the youngster, and that could be vital in the outcome of this quarter-final.
BREAK! Hmm, that was an odd service game from Vinci - she comes up short on every third ball to hand a break straight back to Mladenovic.
Mladenovic starts things well by moving into a 30-0 lead, but a couple of mistakes give Vinci a chance. Maybe not, though, as the Frenchwoman comes back with a punishing ace to set up two game points for the hold. She eventually takes it with a standout forehand down into the corner. A momentum change, perhaps?
BREAK! Power from Mladenovic, as she punches down the line to go ahead. Vinci is not too fazed, however, and rallies back to force some errors and go in front at 30-15. More strength from Mladenovic makes it 30-30, before Vinci gives away break point with a tame cut into the net. The youngster takes her chance with a huge forehand winner.
BREAK! Ouch... Silly tennis from Mladenovic as she basically gives away her game with two double faults to hand Vinci a huge chance to break straight back. The Italian cannot take advantage, however, as her French opponent brings deuce with a standout volley. Vinci takes advantage again after another double fault, before closing out a massive break back when Mladenovic faults once more... You could not write this.
Back on service, Vinci takes control with a mixed bag of shots to unsettle Mladenovic at 30-15. However, Mladenovic comes straight back with a crushing forehand down the line at 30-30. Another beautiful forehand from the youngster brings about break point, but she cannot take it with a lowly cut into the net. More inconsistency from Mladenovic gives Vinci hope, and she holds out with a brilliant serve and volley. Another big moment, for sure!
Pressure volleying at the net puts Vinci ahead on Mladenovic's serve, who responds by coming up strong with a whipped forehand into the corner to level the scores. More errors from the Frenchwoman present Vinci with break point, but she shows strength with neat placement to bring deuce. A stunning exchange at the net allows Mladenovic to go ahead on advantage, with a hold being completing following an ace.
Mladenovic is having a medical break at the moment, it might be cramp, or it could be the heat - maybe both? Today is the hottest day of the US Open so far...
Savvy from Vinci who drops over the net to catch her opponent short. Mladenovic fails with two more errors (there have been plenty) and another forced forehand mistake ensures that Vinci takes the game with ease.
A couple of poor shots leave things at 15-15, but there is no mistaking Mladenovic's next move as she rushes to plant over the net. A forehand volley winner sets up the hold, but the the youngster fires long to give Vinci another shot. The Italian cannot return the next one and Mladenovic noses out in front.
SET! Mladenovic turns the screw as she goes 40-15 up, but Vinci battles back to 40-30. Mladenovic finally takes the game, break set with a wonderful hook across the face of the court. Can the young Frenchwoman do this? A third set might wear on that injury a little...
Given the heat out at Flushing Meadows, we're going to have a short break before the players comment the third and final set.
Mladenovic opens up the decider, then. Vinci cannot find her feet as her opponent goes 30-15 ahead, though the Italian is given a chance following some more French mistakes. A crunching forehand moves Mladenovic back into a game-winning position and she seals it by opening up across court with her backhand.
Mladenovic is not doing too much to threaten this service game as a couple of errors put Vinci into a comfortable 30-0 advantage. An ace sets up the game, which is finished off with a stunning whip back across the court.
Vinci comes good with wonderful strike down the line, but it is not good enough to stop Mladenovic who eventually closes out another hold when Vinci fails on the forehand.
Mladenovic shows some increased aggression in the fourth to come back into contention at 30-30. Vinci goes ahead when the youngster falls short on the return, but the Italian concedes deuce with a shot into the net. Continued battling at deuce finishes as Vinci goes ahead before seeing Mladenovic volley tamely into the net.
Mladenovic continues well back on her own serve and a lucky net point sets up the game. The 22-year-old takes it when Vinci comes up short on the forehand.
Vinci does not let up under pressure as we seemingly head towards a tiebreak. The Italian breezes through to 3-3 with very little resistance on her opponent's end.
BREAK! Vinci produces some telling attacking play by firing into the feet of Mladenovic in order to draw level at 30-30. The Italian's next return is high and long, leaving the youngster with the chance to see out the game. Vinci comes straight back, however, to bring about deuce before a poor approach gives Mladenovic room to move ahead. Vinci is not done yet, though, as she throws a return deep to draw parity once more. The players battle continuously at deuce, where Vinci finally breaks free to earn an important lead after a mammoth 12-minute game.
Mladenovic is having another medical break now, we will be straight back with the action once it commences...
As expected, Vinci uses her experience to push the eighth game forward at great pace. She moves into a 40-15 lead, before closing out a vital period with an ace!
Mladenovic's injury is starting to show a touch as she limps around between plays. A poor opening serve gives Vinci the chance to go in front, but Mladenovic comes back with a deep bullet into the corner. A fine service sees the youngster move the scores to 30-15, where two more wonderful serves help to force home the hold. Vinci is now just looking for a hold of her own to win this match!
GAME, SET & MATCH! Serving for a place in the semis, Vinci starts strongly with a serve that forces a tame return from Mladenovic. It's soon 30-0 when the Frenchwoman crunches another into the net. Some slight resistance is offered by the youngster at 30-15, who follows it up with something bigger deep that does for Vinci. Mladenovic comes up short by pumping her next return wide, only to respond with a massive forehand winner. A predictable error at the vital moment from Mladenovic gives Vinci another chance to close the game, which eventually happens as the French player turns a return into the net. Vinci is through...
So there we have it, Vinci reaches her first ever singles major semi-final with victory over Mladenovic across four sets. It looked at points as if the young French star would power past the experienced Italian, but she made far too many forced errors that ultimately cost her. Vinci will now face the winner of the Venus derby that takes place later on tonight.
That is going to be all from us for this clash, but keep an eye out on the site as we will be bringing you another live game-by-game commentary of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's clash with reigning US Open champion Marin Cilic in just a few moments.
Written by
Christopher Dodd
Christopher Dodd
