Townsend keeps his head up to reach the second week of the US Open | TENNIS.com



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NEW YORK – Taylor Townsend has been waiting a long time. Although she is only 23 years old, the American participates in her eighth US Open and has never passed the second round. Saturday, a round after her incredible surprise against Simona Halep, the implacable waitress and volleyball beat Sorana Cirstea, 7-5, 6-2, to place in the second week of the tournament.

"I did not know that many people had my phone number," Townsend said of the giant reaction after his victory over Halep. "I just tried to keep my head straight, my coach and I talked about strategy and we just continued what I had done since the last lap to try to improve."

In their third-round match today, Townsend followed its brand strategy, which is to load the net after almost every service, keeping Cirstea off guard. She would come in the net 75 times, winning 47 points.

"I've spent a lot, but I've also won a lot, so I have to keep doing it," Townsend said. "On their side, I think it takes time, it's less time to think, and I do not know, I'm up there."


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Townsend has a lot of time to go beyond its many US entrances and exits. She is a very vaunted player since 2011, when she got a wild card in her national slam. As a junior, she reached world number 1, won the Australian Open in 2012 and reached the Wimbledon Final in 2013.

Although she has won numerous ITF-level victories, her only taste of success at the Slams was at the French Open 2014, when she reached the third round. She ranked in the Top 100 in 2014, but she would dive as low as the 394 two years later.

"I think that for so long, it's as if all I did was keep on pushing and realizing that I'm at this level." Many people have doubted my ability to drill, & # 39; she says. "It's just another confirmation for myself that I'm on the right path, that I'm doing the right things, you keep your head down, keep working and you see what's going on."

Its 2019 season has shown signs of a breakthrough before this week. She won her 13th and largest ITF title at a 100K Charleston and held a match with Kiki Bertens in the second round of Wimbledon. Yet between Charleston in April and the US Open, Townsend has only contested three events.


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"I do not have a lot of sponsors knocking on my door giving me money," said the world number 116. "A lot of things come out of my pocket, for me, I have to go do things financially beneficial, it makes sense to go to Europe for 12 weeks with a salary equivalent to $ 900 if you lose the first round and your flight cost $ 3,000 to go in? You can do the math. "

This should change with his move to the fourth round, which guarantees a salary of at least $ 280,000. While her ranking was high enough to place her directly in the main draw of the US Open last year, this time she had to fight her way through three qualifying rounds without that. no wild card comes to his rescue. She must now take the No. 15 seed, Bianca Andreescu, for a spot in the quarter-finals.

"Before I came, I thought I was going to qualify, and I did not care what I had to do," Townsend said. "Nothing was going to bother me in that way." I was about to go as far as I could. I did not even watch the draw.

"I'm here, I'm going to make it count."


Wake up every morning with Tennis Channel Live at the US Open from 8:00 am ET. During the three hours leading up to the start of the game, the Tennis Channel team will screen upcoming games, review tournament scenarios and focus on Flushing Meadows.

Coverage of the Tennis Channel TV reminder will start each evening at 11 pm AND, with the exception of previous departures on Saturday and Sunday of the championship weekend.

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