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Flavia Pennetta, of Italy, left, shook hands with Petra Kvitova, of the Czech Republic, after Pennetta won their quarterfinal match at the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Wednesday, in New York. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
NEW YORK » Flavia Pennetta loves visiting New York for a week or two every year.
Once again, she’s sticking around as long as she can.
The 26th-seeded Italian rallied from down a set and a break against two-time Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova on Wednesday to reach her second U.S. Open semifinal in three years.
"In the second set, I was really in trouble," Pennetta said. "I just keep going, playing, playing. It’s unbelievable."
In 38 career appearances at the other three majors, Pennetta has reached the quarters just once. She’s done it six times in seven years at Flushing Meadows, including her only two trips to a Grand Slam semifinal.
"Before the tournament I never think to be so far in the tournament, so it’s something special," said Pennetta, who had lost five of her last seven matches coming into the U.S. Open.
The win by the 33-year-old Pennetta means that three of the women’s semifinalists at a major will be at least 32 for the first time in the Open era. She joins another 33-year-old, Serena Williams, and fellow Italian Roberta Vinci, 32.
When a reporter started to apologize for asking Pennetta about her age, she playfully interrupted: "We are old. I know."
It’s also the first time in the Open era, which started in 1968, that two Italian women have reached the semifinals in the same Grand Slam tournament.
Pennetta beat the fifth-seeded Kvitova 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 on a steamy afternoon. Kvitova, who has battled mononucleosis this summer that has limited her practice time, was struggling physically by the end of the 2-hour, 23-minute match.
"Just from the beginning of the match I didn’t really feel 100 percent ready today," Kvitova said.
The U.S. Open has been the least successful major for the Czech lefty. Because of the illness, she wasn’t expecting this would be the year she advanced past the fourth round for the first time.
"It wasn’t really (an) easy situation," she said. "I’m kind of proud of myself how I played here."
She led 3-1 in the second set Wednesday but couldn’t close out the match, committing 60 unforced errors.
Pennetta will next meet a 20-something: Simona Halep or Victoria Azarenka. Azarenka beat Pennetta in the 2013 U.S. Open semis.
The Halep-Azarenka quarterfinal was delayed by rain in the fourth game of the third set for 1 hour, 25 minutes. More storms were in the forecast for Wednesday night, with two men’s quarterfinals still to be played. Stan Wawrinka was scheduled to face Kevin Anderson, with Roger Federer meeting Richard Gasquet.
