Heroic, Krejcikova saves 8 match points to reach US Open quarterfinals

In a match with an unbelievable script, Barbora Krejcikova earned her ticket to the quarterfinals by defeating Taylor Townsend (1-6, 7-6, 6-3) after 3 hours of play.

Taylor Townsend will surely be kicking herself. Leading for a set and a half (6-1, 3-1), the American was ideally positioned to reach the first Grand Slam quarterfinal of her career. Even after Krejcikova found her rhythm, the world No. 139 continued to lead and earned her first match point at 5-4.

But it was in a completely wild tiebreak, during which 28 points were played (15-13), that Townsend let her chance slip away. She had seven match points, all saved skillfully by her opponent, sometimes even with a bit of luck. The 29-year-old player, world No. 1 in doubles, also lacked clarity, landing very few first serves.

With nerves of steel, Krejcikova fought her way back into the match, and that was all the two-time Grand Slam champion needed to gain the psychological edge. At 4-3 in the deciding set, she extinguished Townsend’s hopes with a second consecutive break, before closing out the match with a serve-and-volley sequence.

A somewhat miraculous victory that allows her to reach the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows for the second time in her career after 2021. She will face Jessica Pegula, last year’s finalist.

On her side, Townsend will move closer to breaking into the top 100 after her impressive run at this US Open. It remains to be seen whether she will quickly recover from such a dramatic scenario.