NEW YORK – Dreams died by fractions of an inch and were reborn through sheer determination on a pulsating Sunday at the U.S. Open, with Taylor Townsend’s heartbreaking exit contrasting sharply with Taylor Fritz’s steady march onward. Townsend’s three-hour odyssey against Barbora Krejcikova provided the day’s most compelling drama, the mother from Chicago saving eight match points before finally succumbing 1-6 7-6(13) 6-3 in a thriller that left even her four-year-old son A.J. offering gentle consolation. The 29-year-old’s anguish provided a stark contrast to Fritz’s businesslike 6-4 6-3 6-3 dismissal of Czech Tomas Machac, to fly the American flag as the country’s sole male survivor from the 23 who began the tournament. The Californian will carry the nation’s hopes of ending a 22-year major drought since Andy Roddick’s 2003 triumph.
The day’s narrative of perseverance and heartbreak extended beyond American borders, with former champions showcasing the mental fortitude that separates the great from the nearly great. Carlos Alcaraz beat Arthur Rinderknech 7-6(3) 6-3 6-4, while Aryna Sabalenka continued her imperious form with a 6-1 6-4 victory over Cristina Bucsa. At 38, Novak Djokovic made history by becoming the oldest man to reach Grand Slam quarter-finals in all four majors in a single season, dispatching Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3 6-3 6-2 despite requiring treatment on his right shoulder during the match. These 10-month-old foals are the world’s first genetically edited horses – cloned copies of a polo prize winner named Polo Pureza, or Polo Purity.
American hopes in the women’s draw were carried by Jessica Pegula, who cruised past Ann Li 6-1 6-2 to reach her eighth Grand Slam quarter-final and set up a blockbuster clash with Barbora Krejcikova.But it was Townsend’s near-miss that encapsulated the tournament’s central theme of fine margins between triumph and devastation.
After breaking her own “three-minute sulking rule” – “I took 10,” she smiled – Townsend showed remarkable composure despite what she called the toughest singles loss of her career.The drama reached fever pitch in a 25-minute second-set tiebreak that had other players pausing practice to watch on screens, Townsend holding multiple match points only to see Krejcikova claw back with what the Czech called “very brave and a little lucky” tennis.
For Fritz, the weight of American expectations brings both pressure and opportunity as he prepares to face Djokovic, drawing confidence from their recent battles despite the intimidating head-to-head deficit.For Townsend, whose son sat through the entire ordeal before offering his simple wisdom – “It’s okay, mom” – followed by an energetic suggestion to “work out together,” the defeat ends her breakthrough singles run, but her tournament continues in doubles.
