Townsend's Heartbreaking U.S. Open Exit to Krejcikova

New York, Sep 1 (AP) Taylor Townsend faced a heartbreaking exit from the U.S. Open on Sunday after being unable to convert eight match points in a prolonged second set, ultimately falling to Barbora Krejcikova 1-6, 7-6 (13), 6-3.

The spectators echoed their support with chants of "Let's go Taylor! Let's go Taylor!" as Townsend, who won many fans after a memorable interaction with Jelena Ostapenko in an earlier round, hovered just a point away from her maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance.

However, Krejcikova, a formidable two-time Grand Slam singles champion, thwarted Townsend by saving seven match points during a tense tiebreaker. She then broke Townsend's serve twice in the deciding set, paving her way to a clash with No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula on Tuesday.

"It just stings because I literally gave everything," Townsend reflected. "She came up with some really, really great tennis in moments where she was down, and I thought I had it."

Following the match, Townsend embraced Krejcikova at the net and returned to her sideline seat, visibly emotional as she wiped away tears before the appreciative crowd who offered a standing ovation.

"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 during her on-court interview at Louis Armstrong Stadium. "I'm looking forward to seeing you again in my next match — I think against another American."

In what was her 31st Grand Slam attempt, Townsend was closer than ever to securing a quarterfinal berth. Her previous best was a fourth-round loss to eventual champion Bianca Andreescu in 2019.

Townsend's journey isn't over yet, as she remains active in the women's doubles competition, paired with Katerina Siniakova as the No. 1-seeded team. Notably, Siniakova achieved a career Grand Slam in doubles alongside Krejcikova.

Krejcikova, who clinched the 2021 French Open and 2024 Wimbledon titles, overcame a challenging season marred by a back injury that sidelined her for nearly five months. Her arduous comeback now sees her in her second quarterfinal stage at the U.S. Open. Earlier, Krejcikova fought off 10th-seeded American Emma Navarro in an endurance-testing 2 1/2-hour third-round match, followed by a 3-hour, 4-minute duel on Sunday, with an intense 98-minute second set.

Townsend had her first opportunity to clinch the match when she held a break point on Krejcikova's serve at 5-4 in the third, 1 1/2 hours into the match. Krejcikova held her nerve to win that game and the next, moving ahead 6-5, before Townsend clawed back to induce a marathon tiebreaker.

Krejcikova erased the fifth match point with a pinpoint backhand that kissed the line, a moment Townsend couldn't overcome.

The tournament had been a rollercoaster for Townsend, marked by her disputed win over Ostapenko that included remarks about her "class" and "education" from the Latvian, who later issued an apology. Townsend went on to upset No. 5 Mirra Andreeva in the third round and launched into Sunday's match with a commanding first-set win in just 28 minutes, hinting at a promising breakthrough that narrowly eluded her grasp.

"I'm glad that I was able to win (the fans) over, and for people to be able to find out who I am, and even more so play some of my best tennis and put on a great show and just give the fans what they deserve, which is some great tennis," Townsend remarked. "I gave everything that I could."

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