Taylor Townsend Has Dream US Open Run Halted By Barbora Krejcikova

Man, what a gut punch. Taylor Townsend had the tennis world buzzing, sitting pretty with a commanding first set victory and multiple match points in her back pocket. For a brief, shining moment, it looked like the fairy tale was going to continue. Then Barbora Krejčíková happened. How did Townsend go on to lose the match?

Townsend’s Dominant Start Fades Under Pressure

The American came out swinging like she had nothing to lose – which, honestly, she didn’t. After Krejčíková grabbed that early 1-0 lead, Townsend unleashed pure tennis fury, rattling off six consecutive games to snatch the opening set 6-1. You could practically hear Arthur Ashe Stadium thinking, “Holy cow, is this really happening?”

For a player ranked 139th in the world who’s never even reached a WTA singles final, Townsend was playing like she owned the place. She carried that momentum into the second set, winning three of the next four games and looking absolutely unstoppable. But here’s where tennis gets cruel – and why we love this sport so much.

The Epic Tiebreak That Changed Everything

What followed was one of those tiebreaks that’ll haunt Townsend’s dreams for months. Leading 6-3 in the tiebreak, she had multiple chances to slam the door shut. Seven match points, to be exact. Seven! That is like having seven different lottery tickets and somehow losing them all.

Krejčíková, the crafty Czech veteran, kept clawing back like some sort of tennis zombie. Every time Townsend thought she had her buried, Krejčíková popped back up. The tiebreak stretched to an absurd 13-13 before the 29-year-old former Wimbledon champion finally closed it out 15-13.

When Momentum Becomes a Wrecking Ball

After surviving that marathon tiebreak, Krejčíková had all the psychological ammunition she needed. The final set played out like a completely different match, with the Czech player jumping to a 4-2 lead while Townsend looked like she was still processing what had just happened.

Credit to Townsend – she fought back with a break in the seventh game, showing the heart that got her this far. But sometimes in tennis, the moment passes, and you can’t get it back. Krejčíková closed out the final two games to complete one of the most dramatic comebacks you’ll see at Flushing Meadows.

What This Means For Both Players

For Townsend, this stings, but it shouldn’t define her tournament. Making the fourth round from outside the top 100 is still a massive achievement. She knocked off the fifth seed earlier in the week and showed she belongs on the big stage. Krejčíková, meanwhile, advances to face Jessica Pegula in what should be a fascinating quarterfinal matchup. The former world number two has been there before and knows how to navigate these pressure-cooker moments.