Taylor Townsend couldn’t covert eight match points in a second set that ended with a 25-minute tiebreaker as she was eliminated from the US Open on Sunday with a 1-6, 7-6, 6-3 loss to Barbora Krejcikova.
With the fans firmly behind a player who became a fan favorite during the tournament after her confrontation with Jelena Ostapenko, Townsend was repeatedly a point away from what would have been her first grand slam singles quarter-final. But Krejcikova, a two-time grand slam singles champion, erased a slew of match points in a tiebreaker she once trailed 6-3 before winning 15-13, broke Townsend’s serve twice in the third set and advanced to face another American, No 4 seed Jessica Pegula, on Tuesday.
Townsend hugged Krejcikova at the net, then sat in her sideline chair and began crying before leaving the court to a standing ovation as she dabbed her eyes with a towel.
“To be honest, I’m totally enjoying this crowd. Even though it’s not for me, it’s for the Americans, it’s fine,” Krejcikova said. “I’m looking forward to seeing you again in my next match – I think against another American.”
In her first 31st grand slam appearance, Townsend has never been closer to reaching the last eight. She lost to eventual champion Bianca Andreescu in 2019 in her only other fourth-round appearance.
Townsend remains in the women’s doubles tournament as the No 1-seeded team with Katerina Siniakova – who won a career grand slam in doubles with Krejcikova during their partnership.
Pegula rolled into the last eight by routing fellow American Ann Li 6-1, 6-2 in just 54 minutes. Pegula hasn’t dropped a set this year at Flushing Meadows, and only once has she been kept on court for more than 75 minutes.
“Probably the best match, honestly, I’ve played since, like, before Wimbledon I feel like from the start to finish. So that was encouraging,” Pegula said. “I was just hitting the ball, doing everything well, executing my strategy very well and got through it pretty quick.”
