Former Shrewsbury champion Vinci is US Open runner-up

Roberta Vinci, the runner-up in Saturday's ladies singles final at Flushing Meadows after beating favourite Serena Williams in the last four, was the first winner of the Aegon GB Pro-Series event in 2008, the women's event held annually at The Shrewsbury Club. 

Vinci, 32, delighted Shropshire tennis fans with her skills when she earned a place on the honours board at The Shrewsbury Club by beating Estonian Maret Ani 7-5, 7-5 in the final seven years ago.

Organisers of the 2015 Aegon tournament, which will return here between November 14 and 21, were delighted to follow the progress of Vinci, who lost 7-6, 6-2 to fellow Italian Flavia Pennetta in the final in New York.

Set to rocket from her current world ranking of 43, Vinci hit the headlines by ending world No 1 Williams' quest to make it a calendar year of Grand Slam triumphs in an epic semi-final, the former Shrewsbury champion springing a huge upset with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 win.

Dave Courteen, managing director of The Shrewsbury Club, said Vinci's success underlined the quality of players who grace Shropshire's top tennis tournament each year with a number of other star names, now ranked in the world's top 50, also appearing at the county town venue in the past.

"It's fantastic to know that Roberta Vinci, having performed so well in the US Open, has successfully graced the courts at The Shrewsbury Club in the past," he said. "Her name is on the club's honours board and it's lovely to think that the time she spent playing so well in Shrewsbury was part of her journey towards the top."

The host of other tennis aces in action in New York during the past fortnight to have also played at The Shrewsbury Club included last year's finalists, French teenager Oecane Dodin, the reigning Shrewsbury champion, and runner-up, rising German star Carina Witthoeft.

Dave said: "It's always great fun to look at the draw for a Grand Slam and think how many of the players have actually played here at Shrewsbury, and this US Open was certainly no different.

"Carina Witthoeft, who did so well here last year, was knocked out by Garbine Mugruzza, recently the runner-up at Wimbledon, while Oceane Dodin, who beat her in the final here at Shrewsbury, really excelled and was the headline story of the first round at Flushings Meadow, knocking out former world No 1 Jelena Jankovic, the biggest seed to fall in the first round.

"When we saw Oceane play here we thought she would go on to bigger and better things, and this hopefully will really kickstart her career."

He added: "The other great story was Johanna Konta, who has played here three years on the trot, doing so well. She's never progressed beyond the quarter-finals here in Shrewsbury, but nearly made it through to the quarter-finals of the US Open.

"She had been on a 16 match winning streak which has now seen her rise to being extremely close to Heather Watson - runner-up at Shrewsbury in 2011 - as British No 1 and sits just inside the top 50 in the world.

"Last year she actually played Shrewsbury and got knocked out in the first round, so it just shows the quality of tennis that we have here and we're really excited about November's event."

A host of rising women tennis stars from around Europe will converge on The Shrewsbury Club for the week-long Aegon GB Pro-Series event from November 14, with admission free.

There will also be a sports dinner held at the club on the eve of the final with the main guest speaker Judy Murray.

Pictured: Johanna Konta, who reached the third round of the US Open, in action on one of her past appearances at The Shrewsbury Club. Picture by Richard Dawson

The Honours Board at The Shrewsbury Club showing the name of 2008 champion Roberta Vinci.