A tearful Taylor Townsend saw her US Open singles campaign end in dramatic fashion as Barbora Krejcikova saved eight match points to secure a stunning 1-6, 7-6 (13), 6-3 victory in the fourth round.
Townsend, who had been the centre of attention earlier in the tournament after a courtside confrontation with Jelena Ostapenko, was on the verge of reaching her first grand slam singles quarter-final with her four-year-old son AJ watching from the stands. However, Krejcikova produced a Houdini-like escape in the second-set tie-break, saving seven match points to take the set before dominating the decider.
The Czech former Wimbledon champion will now face American fourth seed Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals. Pegula, a finalist last year, breezed past Ann Li 6-1, 6-2 without dropping a set in the tournament so far.
“It just stings, because I literally gave everything,” Townsend said after the match. The American, who still has a chance in the doubles competition, left the court in tears with a towel over her face to the applause of the Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd. Krejcikova admitted she was “totally enjoying this crowd” despite it being largely behind her opponent.
