Bill Simons
NEW YORK
TAYLOR BEATS A CZECH, TAYLOR LOSES TO A CZECH: America’s top male singles player Taylor Fritz downed Czech Tomas Machac in 1:38. The world’s top female doubles player, Taylor Townsend, lost to Czech Barbora Krejcikova in 3:04.
DESTINY’S CHILD FALLS: The warrior from the gritty streets of Chicago’s Southside is a sage of sorts. She made it clear: she believes in destiny. If you want to create a legacy, certain moments are defining.
Taylor Townsend insisted, “Everything happens for a reason. There are times you don’t really understand why it’s happening until you’re removed from it.”
Townsend spoke of the poise and strength she mustered to deal with Jelena’s Ostapenko’s “You have no class, you’re not educated” taunts, and added, “It’s been the trials and tribulations…I’ve worked through…[and] all of my experiences that have prepared me for these moments.”
She added that she couldn’t have handled the turmoil, “if I hadn’t worked on myself…I do believe that the timing is divine. Everything is happening exactly the way that it’s supposed to…There are never any accidents.”
But who could have possibly imagined that Townsend would be the provocative story of the first week of the Open? In the 37 Slams she’d played, only once did she even reach the fourth round.
Few imagined that the 29-year old, who was ranked No. 143, would beat No. 25 Ostapenko. Then, after she dismissed the Latvian, critics scoffed, “Well, Jelena is erratic.”
Surely the wizardry of Mirra Andreeva would then bring Townsend back to earth. And after Taylor tattooed the No. 5 in the world, 7-5, 6-2, doubters quipped that the Russian’s just a teen. Now, said many a reasonable observer, Barbora Krejcikova will Czechia-mate Taylor.
But in a packed Louis Armstrong Stadium, as thousands shrieked and the American banner flowed in the New York breeze, Townsend again unleashed her “Where did this come from?” magic.
Southpaw slices, devilish drop shots, spinny forehands, backhand blasts, canny anticipation, logic-defying lobs, confident volleys and an impressive 89-mph ace to the corner – the No. 1 doubles player in the world brilliantly put her impressive variety on display. Krejcikova may have 12 Slam trophies back at home, but Barbora seemed to be playing on Barbora-ed time.
With the winds of destiny seemingly at her back, Taylor raced to a 6-1, 3-1 lead. But there’s a reason Krejcikova is a French Open and Wimbledon singles champ. She roared back, briefly evened the fight and saved a match point before forcing an epic 25-minute second-set tiebreak.
Again and again, Townsend battled to gain match points. But Barbora hit a spectacular, off-balance backhand volley and a gutsy backhand that hit the back of the baseline. Later she said, “I was brave, as well as lucky.”
At crunch time, Taylor was more safe than bold. Much to the frustration of the raucous, enchanted patriots who backed her, Townsend failed to convert eight match points before losing an epic second-set tiebreak 15-13, and eventually falling in 3:07, 1-6, 7-6, 6-3.
“This hurts,” Taylor later confided, “but I’m exactly where I need to be…I’m playing the tennis I need to play to be inside the top 20, top 10, to win a Grand Slam…I was so close, and it was literally like a point here and there…I’m proud of myself. I don’t think I’ve ever put on a performance like this…More than anything, I gained the respect of everyone.”
She told Inside Tennis, “This was part of the plan…You never know what type of catalyst or catapult that this match could be…This whole tournament has been a game changer…This is going to take me to another level.”
Townsend’s four-year-old son Adyn had a different perspective. In the locker room he turned to his mom and said, “Hey, let’s work out. Let’s do some squats.”
LABOR DAY POPCORN MATCH: Monday afternoon, Coco Gauff will play Naomi Osaka. Their 2019 US Open match is one of the most memorable third-round matches in Open history. After Osaka trounced Coco, she poignantly insisted that the weepy 15-year-old Gauff join her in the post-match on-court interview. Tears flowed. Coco now leads their head-to-head record 3-2.
AMERICA WATCH: Jessica Pegula, Gauff, Amanda Anisimova and Fritz are the only Americans still left in the draw. Taylor will face Djokovic, who he has never beaten in ten meetings. Pegula will play Krejickova. Amanda plays Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia – all in the quarterfinals.
YANKEE KILLER: Krejickova beat Charlotte native Victoria Mboko in the opening round, she beat American Emma Navarro in the second round and Townsend in the third round. She’ll next face Jessica Pegula.
POST-MATCH FIREWORKS: In some ways this summer, post-match happenings have been more lively than the on-court action.
After being subdued by Coco Gauff in the French Open final, you might have thought that Aryna Sabalenka just might give a shoutout to the young American. Nah, the Belarusian insisted her defeat in the final was all about her playing terribly. And, by the way, she made matters worse when she claimed that if Coco had been playing Iga Swiatek, the Pole would have won.
Just the opposite happened at Wimbledon. After Amanda Anisimova got humiliated 6-0, 6-0 by Swiatek in the final, she gained great good will as she humbly showed her vulnerability. Later she reflected on her favorite quote by Marianne Williamson: “Pain can burn you up and destroy you, or burn you up and redeem you.”
After losing in Montreal, finalist Osaka, who is usually gracious, gave a shockingly terse 16-second non-speech. She didn’t even mention the Cinderella victory of home favorite Mboko, who is only 18.
The US Open got off to a dicey start. After losing his first-round match, Daniil Medvedev smashed his racket 23 times. Then there was Ostapenko’s finger wagging, “No class, no education” taunt of Townsend.
During his match against Daniel Altmaier, Stefanos Tsitsipas was pissed that his German foe had served underhand. (Did it offend his manhood?) So he began to blast the balls right at his foe. After losing, the Greek told Altmaier at the net, “Next time, don’t wonder why I hit you, OK?”
IT’S IN THE CONTRACT: John McEnroe used to joke that it was in his contract that in every match he had to have a meltdown. Certainly it’s required that in each of Carlos Alcaraz’s matches, he has to hit a magical shot. Today it was a no-look behind-the-back stab, plus a tweener.
– Also reporting, Lucia Hoffman
