Taylor Townsend stuns again: Emotional win over Shnaider at US Open
**Core answer**: Taylor Townsend đánh bại hạt giống số 15 Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-3 sau 2 giờ 27 phút, giành vé vào vòng 4 US Open năm thứ hai liên tiếp. Cô sẽ đối đầu tay vợt số 1 Aryna Sabalenka ở vòng tiếp theo. **Key facts**: - Townsend thắng 19/24 điểm lên lưới (79%). - Đây là lần đầu hai tay vợt chạm trán. - Sabalenka đang có chuỗi 16 trận thắng tại New York. - Trận đấu kéo dài 2 giờ 27 phút. **Source attribution**: US Open official website, August 30, 2024 | Cross-checked: VuaBong.vn **Related Q&A**: Q: Townsend từng vào tứ kết Grand Slam nào chưa? A: Chưa; vòng 4 US Open là thành tích tốt nhất của cô. Q: Sabalenka có thành tích gì nổi bật tại US Open? A: Vô địch hai năm liên tiếp (2022, 2023) và thắng 16 trận gần nhất tại giải.
New York – One year ago, Taylor Townsend was the darling of the US Open's first week. Twelve months later, she has done it again.
At age 30, the American upset 15th seed Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-3 in a thrilling 2-hour-27-minute battle, reaching the fourth round for the second consecutive year. Earlier, she had dispatched 20th seed Maja Chwalinska and Taylah Preston in straight sets.
This was no easy win. Shnaider, a French Open semifinalist, stole the second set in a tiebreak, forcing Townsend to dig deep. In the decider, Townsend broke decisively in the eighth game and served out the match with a forehand winner down the line.
As Shnaider's final shot sailed wide, Townsend burst into tears. She raised her arms in a superhero celebration, then warmly embraced her coach, Roger Tyzzer. The Court 17 speakers fittingly played Kelly Clarkson's 'Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)'.
'I'm f***ing pumped!' Townsend said in her on-court interview.
To reach the quarterfinals – a stage she has never reached at any Grand Slam – Townsend must overcome world No. 1 and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, who is on a 16-match winning streak in New York. This will be their first career meeting.
'I'm ready for anything. I came here to fight,' Townsend added.
Data shows Townsend hit 8 aces, won 71% of first-serve points, and saved 4 of 5 break points. But the most impressive stat: she won 19 of 24 net approaches – a weapon Sabalenka will have to respect.
Townsend's story is not just an upset. It is a testament to perseverance. Last year she reached the fourth round as a wildcard; this year she did it as an unseeded player. At 30, she is playing the best tennis of her career.
And if Townsend has proven anything, it is this: never underestimate a heart full of fire.