Unseeded Italian Roberta Vinci became the first woman through to the semi-finals of the US Open on Tuesday, outlasting Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic 6-3 5-7 6-4 on another sizzling hot day at Flushing Meadows.<br />The 32-year-old veteran showed off her fighting spirit while Mladenovic, a decade younger, wilted in the punishing conditions using up all of her medical timeouts during the two-hour, 32-minute test.<br />A doubles specialist with a career grand slam on her resume, Vinci moved onto the final four in singles at a major for the first time in her 18-year career.<br />She will take on the winner of the quarter-final Serena Williams.<br />"It's an amazing moment for me.<br />Unbelievable," beamed 43rd-ranked Vinci.<br />"My first semi-final in my career.
