NEW YORK – Taylor Townsend's fairytale run at her home grand
slam, the US Open, continued on Saturday when the qualifier beat
Sorana Cirstea 7-5, 6-2 for a place in the fourth round.
Two days after shocking former world number one Simona Halep, 116th
ranked Townsend played aggressive serve-and-volley tennis again,
coming into the net 75 times and winning the point on 47 occasions
against the 106th-placed Romanian Cirstea.
Townsend is now one match away from a record-equalling quarter-final
berth for a qualifier, with rising Bianca Andreescu the next opponent. Andreescu stopped former world number one Caroline Wozniacki, 6-4, 6-4, firing 26 winners to Wozniacki's 13.
"I played great but so did Caroline. It was super fun," said
Andreescu who has big 2019 titles from Indian Wells and Toronto.
"Everything is just clicking with me. I have been through a lot."
Also in the last 16 is 26 seed Elise Mertens as last year's
Australian Open semi-finalist beat Andrea Petkovic, 6-3, 6-3, and is
yet to drop a set at Flushing Meadows.
Next up for Mertens is American wildcard entry Kristie Ahn who
stunned former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, 6-3, 7-5.
Julia Goerges, who apart from the Auckland title and Birmingham final
has mainly enjoyed a torrid season, kept the German flag flying on
the women's side as the 30 seed comprehensively beat tournament
number seven Kiki Bertens, 6-2, 6-3.
"I was actually out in the first round and match point down, and now
I am here. I am happy and proud of that. I played pretty solid and
waited for my opportunities," said Goerges who matched her
career-best showing at Flushing Meadows.
A quarter-final place beckons as she also appears capable of beating
23rd seed Donna Vekic, who advanced 6-4, 6-1 against Yulia
Putintseva.
Scheduled for later Saturday was the blockbuster women's fourth-round
match between top-ranked title holder Naomi Osaka and American
teenage sensation Coco Gauff.
On the men's side, second seed Rafael Nadal was facing Chung Hyeon of
South Korea, and sixth seeded Alexander Zverev taking on Aljaz
Bedene.