By Erik Gudris | Sunday, August 31, 2025
Photo credit: Robert Prange/Getty Images
For Barbora Krejcikova, she’s back in the mix for yet another major singles title. For Taylor Townsend, it’s a case of what might have been.
Krejcikova survived eight match points against her in the second set before she found a way past Townsend 1-6, 7-6(13), 6-3 to reach the US Open quarterfinals in dramatic fashion.
Both players, unseeded in this year's women's singles draw, entered their fourth round match in New York with compelling storylines. Townsend, 29, currently the WTA's World No. 1 doubles player, hoped to reach her first ever major singles quarterfinal after defeating two seeded players in a row in No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva and No. 25 seed Jelena Ostapenko.Krejcikova, a two-time major singles champion that includes last year’s Wimbledon title, entered New York not having played a lot of matches this season due to an ongoing back injury. At the beginning of this season, she wasn’t even sure she would compete. Now she is back in yet another major singles quarterfinal.
“Just four months ago, I couldn’t play or practice. I had a huge pain in my back and didn’t know if I’d ever be back,” Krejcikova said afterwards. “This is huge. I still cannot believe it.”
For most of the match, it appeared that Townsend would finally earn her first major singles breakthrough into the last eight of singles.
The first set was all about Townsend who felt the ball better than her opponent throughout the set. With stellar play, Townsend wrapped up the set 6-1 in just 28 minutes.
Townsend, continuing her momentum, opened up a 3-1 lead in the second set to the delight of the home crowd. Yet Townsend, perhaps, feeling the pressure of the finish line is sight, tossed in a double fault down break point to hand the break back for 2-3.
The match from there became a back and forth encounter with Krejcikova pressured time and time again to save match points.
The first one against her came when she served trailing 4-5 in the second set. She saved that match point with a potent serve and then forehand winner.
Krejcikova eventually held in that game and then later both women found themselves in a tiebreak.
From there, the match bubbled into the back and forth encounter many had expected from these all-court specialists. Townsend trailed in the tiebreaker 1-3 and then eventually led 6-3. But Townsend could not convert on her next string of match points.
Soon enough, Krejcikova would rally back to 6-all. Townsend held another match point after her opponent committed a forehand error. Krejcikova responded on the fifth match point against her with an on the line winner. Krejcikova then earned three set points, which she let slip away with bad errors.
Even players in the warm-up area inside the US Open arena had to stop and watch the compelling tiebreak.
From there, Krejcikova would deny Townsend three more points – until she hit a perfect smash winner to take the set 7-6 (13).
The final set, despite the crowd’s urging, proved to be in favor for Krejcikova. The Czech star opened up a 4-2 lead late in the final set. While Townsend managed to pull within a game, Krejcikova’s experience proved too much in the end.
Krejcikova, on her second match point, finally closed out the exciting battle with a volley winner.
With the win, Krejcikova saved the most match points at the year’s US Open.
Townsend, despite the loss, looked ahead to the positives after her exciting run at her home Grand Slam.
“I’m exactly where I need to be,” she said. “I said it in D.C., you know, I was kind of inching there, but I’m exactly where I need to be. That’s it. I’m playing the tennis I need to play be inside the top 20, top 10 to win a Grand Slam. She’s a two-time Grand Slam champion. I have beaten a Grand Slam champion this tournament. So I have everything that I need, and it’s just about now just keep getting the reps, keep putting myself in these types of positions.
“This hurts, but it’s part of competition, it’s part of sports, but I’m right where I need to be.”
Krejcikova, afterwards, said she enjoyed the experience despite the crowd being for her opponent.
“To be honest, it was excellent. I mean, I really enjoyed the crowd.,” she said. “Even though they were cheering for Taylor, which I knew since beginning. That’s just the way it is. I actually like it. I like when there is a crowd. I like when they are cheering.
“It’s perfect. I enjoyed it. I’m really happy that I had opportunity to play on the Louis Armstrong court, and I had opportunity to play American, and the crowd was wild.”
Next up for Krejcikova is the fourth seeded American and last year’s US Open finalist Jessica Pegula.
