*Flushing, New York – Taylor Townsend lost to Barbora Krejcikova in fourth round US Open action. She fought the good fight, but fell just short – literal millimeters – of claiming the victory.
The match, played before a packed Armstrong stadium, was nail-biting and riveting, and Townsend had opportunities to claim the victory … but it wasn’t to be.
The surging American started the match on fire, taking the first set 1-6. She even secured a break early in the 2nd, but that lead began to slip when she was immediately broken back after her serve began to lose its power.
Townsend didn’t let that stop her momentum, however, and the two stayed on serve till they reached a tiebreaker – an emotionally brutal 25-minute tiebreaker that ended with the Czech just barely coming out on top for 7-6(13).
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Townsend held 8 match points – yes, 8 – in the breaker and had every opportunity to close it out with the win, but her steely opponent’s line-hugging survival shots dashed her hopes to pull off the victory. Pushed to a third, Townsend’s fight just wasn’t enough to stave off Krejcikova’s courageous comeback. The Czech is a 2-time Slam champion, and her experience and determination exceeded what Townsend could muster.
The crowd, along with having her son in her box, tried to be the wind at her back throughout the match to push her over the line, but Krejcikova was just too solid and surged to a 5-2 lead in the third.
The Czech then served for the set.
Townsend’s belief was hanging by a thread but she had just enough to help her fight hard to turn the tables one more time. She got the break back for 5-3 and the emotionally drained crowd roared with delight.
But the surge stopped there; she failed to hold on to her own serve. Nervous unforced errors caused her to be immediately broken back and to lose the match, 1-6, 7-6 (13), 6-3.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ww1DrstDT8
It was brutal for the home crowd, but even more so for Townsend’s, who exited the court – understandably – with her hat pulled down and in tears. But she’s been through enough in her life and career to still find the positive:
“So my coach and I have a rule where you get to sulk for three minutes. I took ten,” she said.
“But then, you know, first off, I got, you know, love and hugs from my team. You know, it just stings, because I literally gave everything, and I gave everything. She came up with some really, really great tennis in moments where she was down, and I thought I had it (smiling).
“I’m exactly where I need to be. I said it in D.C., you know, I was kind of inching there, but I’m exactly where I need to be. That’s it. I’m playing the tennis I need to play be inside the top 20, top 10 to win a Grand Slam. She’s a two-time Grand Slam champion. I have beaten a Grand Slam champion this tournament.”
It would’ve been the doubles world no. 1’s first time making the quarterfinals of a singles Slam. But all is not lost; you can still catch Taylor Townsend in doubles action, which she vows to win:
“So, you know, I’m not done here. I have doubles tomorrow,” she said. “I’m going to do everything that I can to hoist the trophy here. With that, I know I can do it, me and my partner have done it before. This is just motivating me to keep doing the things that I know I can do to be a champion.”
“That’s the cool thing about tennis. Doesn’t matter what happened the day before. If you’ve got another match, you have to turn it around and get back on the saddle and keep going.”
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