Serena Williams loses bid for calendar Grand Slam

NEW YORK -- Tennis superstar Serena Williams lost her bid for a calendar Grand Slam, losing in the semi-finals of the U.S. Open to unseeded Roberta Vinci on Friday.

The 43rd-ranked Italian won 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

The 35-year-old Williams, the favorite to win, was vying to become the first player to sweep all four majors in the same year since Steffi Graf in 1988.

During a press conference after her loss, a dispirited Williams said she never felt pressure to win. She said she hit "one or two" tight shots, but that would happen in any match.

"I don't want to talk about how disappointing it is for me," she said at the start of a briefer-than-usual news conference. "If you have any other questions, I'm open for that."

Vinci will play fellow Italian Flavia Pennetta in the finals. Vinci had never won a set off the 21-time major champion in four previous meetings and was in her first career Grand Slam semifinal at age 32.

"I'm in the final and I beat Serena. Sorry, guys," she said tearfully to the crowd after her win. "But for me it's an amazing moment. I tried to stay focused and not think about the match. Serena's an incredible player. I think it's the best moment of my life."

This was Serena's 19th time being the No.1 seed at a Grand Slam, according to the Women's Tennis Association. She has won more WTA titles than anyone else this year.

On February 18, 2013, she became the oldest No. 1 player in WTA history.

On Tuesday, Williams defeated sister Venus Williams in three sets in the quarterfinals. The younger Williams won 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 in the U.S. Open quarterfinals in front of a celebrity-filled crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium. It was her 11th three-set victory at a major this year.

Serena improved to 9-5 against her sister in Grand Slam matches.