The women’s competition at the US Open has been thrown open by a run of upsets, with several leading seeds knocked out as the tournament reached its second week in New York. A draw that looked settled on paper has instead delivered surprise after surprise.
Among the biggest shocks was the exit of fifth seed Mira Andreeva, beaten in straight sets by Taylor Townsend, 7-5, 6-2, in a match lasting just 76 minutes. Townsend was commanding throughout, mixing heavy serving with aggressive net play, and spoke afterwards of feeling like she was “emerging as a new person.”
She was not alone. Tenth seed Emma Navarro was pushed out by former Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova, while eighth seed Jasmine Paolini fell to Marketa Vondrousova. In each case a highly rated player departed earlier than expected, reshaping the section of the draw around them.
Krejcikova credited the New York crowd for carrying her over the line, saying the atmosphere “pumped me up” in the decisive game. The noise of a night session under the lights, she suggested, can lift a player as much as any tactic.
The wave of results changes the shape of the tournament. With several seeds gone, the path has eased for players who might have faced a daunting route, and form now looks a better guide than ranking to who advances.
With the tournament running to 7 September, the women’s title suddenly looks anyone’s to claim. After a first week that refused to follow the script, the second is promising more of the same, and the players still standing know that the same fast courts and charged crowds that undid the seeds apply to them too.
