Taylor Townsend stuns world No. 5 to reach US Open fourth round after Jelena Ostapenko controversy

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Painted flames curled around Taylor Townsend’s sleeves as she stunned world No. 5 Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-2 in the third round of the US Open on Friday.

The American – who has unexpectedly found herself in the spotlight following a tense post-match exchange on Wednesday with Jelena Ostapenko – said that the design represented phoenixes, an important symbol for her.

“The premise is you having to burn or lose your old self in order to emerge as something new,” she told reporters after defeating Andreeva on Friday. “I feel like that’s indicative of my career, me as a person, me as a woman, me as a player.” Against Ostapenko too, Townsend’s skirt was decorated with flames.

She took just 76 minutes to defeat Andreeva, who is ranked 134 places above her in the WTA rankings, and reach the fourth round, equaling her best-ever performance at a grand slam singles tournament, which came at the 2019 US Open.

More known for her doubles prowess – she is a reigning Australian Open women’s doubles champion and world No. 1 – Townsend used all that experience, dominating at the net to take the match away from Andreeva.

“People have always said, ‘Oh, you’re so talented, you have so many weapons, you have so many things you can do, but…’ There was always a ‘but,’ she said.

“I feel like the work I’ve been put in and all the things I’ve been doing has eliminated that ‘but.’ I’m emerging as a new person. I feel like today I leveled up. I’m really just so proud of myself.”

Taylor Townsend celebrates after defeating Mirra Andreeva. Adam Hunger/AP

Her win came in the wake of a tense exchange with Ostapenko following their second-round match on Wednesday, during which the Latvian could be heard saying Townsend had “no class” and “no education.” Naomi Osaka criticized those comments as “one of the worst things you can say to a Black tennis player in a majority White sport.”

“I think it’s ill timing and the worst person you could have ever said it to. And I don’t know if she knows the history of it in America,” Osaka added. “But I know she’s never going to say that ever again in her life.”

According to Ostapenko, the origin of the argument came from a moment of controversy that is not part of tennis’ codified laws and instead an act of – or lack of, in this case – sportsmanship.

The Latvian explained on social media that her frustrations originated from a moment midway through their second-round match when Townsend did not say “sorry” after being helped by the net cord during a point.

The controversy has heaped extra attention on Townsend, but the 29-year-old said afterward that “it hasn’t been hard at all” to shut that out.

“It wasn’t hard, because I stood in my truth,” she said. “So I didn’t have to defend anything that I said.”

The crowd inside Arthur Ashe Stadium gave her a standing ovation as she thanked “everyone who supported me over these last 48 hours.”

“It’s bigger than me, it’s about the message, it’s about the representation … You guys saw the real Taylor Townsend tonight,” she added.

Townsend will face two-time grand slam singles winner Barbora Krejčíková in the fourth round.

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