An understandably awestruck Roberta Vinci spoke on court after her semifinal win over world No. 1 Serena Williams with an elation typical of somebody who just took the tennis world by surprise.
Vinci's post-match quotes Friday were naturally of a different spirit than Williams'. The unranked finalist said, "It was an incredible match. I lost the first set, and tried to stay in every point. I tried to stay focused and not think about Serena."
The 32-year-old Italian appeared to clearly understand of the magnitude of her performance, both in terms of the upset and as an unranked outsider beating an American on U.S. soil.
Vinci did not undersell the occasion, saying, "It is the best moment of my life."
A jubilant Vinci also apologized: "Sorry for the American people, for Serena, for the Grand Slam and everything ... Today is my day, sorry guys."
Vinci heads into Saturday's final the underdog to 26th-ranked countrywoman Flavia Pennetta, in an all-Italian final that would have been implausible before this morning's semifinal victory over No. 2 Simona Halep.
With the tournament's top two seeds bounced just hours apart, ticket prices for the finals have plummeted. Just before 3 p.m., moments after the second semifinal had ended, the average ticket price fell from $1,412 (USD) to $1,101, with a grounds entry-ticket dropping to $124, according to ESPN.
Not ten minutes later, the average price plunged to $876 with the cheapest ticket dropping to $70. By 3:20 pm ET, the average resale price fell to $680 with entry tickets going for $40, discounts of 50 percent and 85 percent from pre-match values.
Thanks in no small part to Williams' drive for a historic calendar Slam, this year's US Open was the first to have a women's final sell out before the men's.