'it's Bigger Than Me' - Townsend Wins Again After Ostapenko Row

Taylor Townsend put speech nan contention complete comments made astir her by Jelena Ostapenko to stun 5th seed Mirra Andreeva and scope nan US Open past 16.

The 29-year-old American said her 7-5 6-2 triumph complete nan Russian was "bigger than me" arsenic she reached nan 4th information astatine Flushing Meadows for nan first clip since 2019.

Fellow players including Naomi Osaka came to Townsend's defence this week aft Ostapenko told her she had "no education" and "no class" aft their second-round lucifer connected Wednesday.

Osaka said those comments were "one of nan worst things you could opportunity to a achromatic tennis player".

Ostapenko based on pinch Townsend aft losing 7-5 6-1 and claimed nan American doubles master had not apologised aft a nett cord landed successful her favour.

The 2017 French Open champion denied immoderate constituent of racism to her remarks and Townsend said she did not deliberation location was a group undertone to nan Latvian's comments.

After claiming 1 of nan biggest wins of her singles profession against Andreeva connected Friday, Townsend told nan crowd astatine Arthur Ashe Stadium: "This feels good.

"All I'm going to opportunity is invited to nan show. I consciousness amazing. I'm really conscionable proud that I kept nan main point nan main thing.

"I want to opportunity convey you to everyone who supported maine complete these past 48 hours.

"It's bigger than me. It's astir nan message, it's astir nan representation, it's astir being bold and being capable to show up arsenic yourself and I did that tonight.

"You guys saw nan existent Taylor Townsend tonight."

Townsend, who will play unseeded Barbora Krejcikova successful nan 4th information connected Sunday, took conscionable 76 minutes nether nan lights to surge past 18-year-old Andreeva pinch immoderate fearless changeable making.

She came done a tense first group earlier moving distant pinch nan second, hitting a full of 23 winners.

Townsend, a erstwhile inferior number one, is classed number 1 successful doubles having won nan women's title astatine some Wimbledon and nan Australian Open pinch partner Katerina Siniakova.

However, she is classed 139th for singles and this was only nan 3rd triumph of her elder profession against a top-10 opponent, pursuing victories complete Simona Halep successful 2019, successful her only different tally to nan 4th information successful New York, and compatriot Jessica Pegula successful Rome past year.

Townsend reflected further connected nan triumph and a whirlwind 48 hours successful her post-match news conference: "I said to my squad 'I'm made for this type of stuff'.

"I really consciousness for illustration it wasn't difficult because I stood successful my truth. I didn't person to take sides thing that I said.

"I would ne'er let immoderate play aliases thing connected nan extracurricular to deter maine from what my extremity is erstwhile I measurement into nan lines connected nan court. That's really I was raised."

She added that she ended up turning disconnected her mobile telephone aft being flooded pinch messages of goodwill done texts and connected societal media.

"I said to my squad 'Dang, I didn't cognize this galore group had my telephone number'.

"[I received] truthful galore matter messages and stuff, conscionable trying to select done those things. When I sewage to nan edifice I said 'OK, I'm done'. I put my telephone down and I put it connected do not disturb."