Key events
Back to Louis Armstrong, where Townsend, at 6-1, 4-4, 40-0, is on the cusp of something very special. And an unreturned serve settles the game! Townsend is a game away from the greatest achievement of her singles career.
I’m not sure what more Rinderknech could have done there. He played as well as he could have, but he simply doesn’t have the superpowers and other-wordly shot-making skills of Alcaraz. Though to be fair, who does? Not even Sinner. Sinner’s style is more metronomic consistency.
A beaming Alcaraz tells the crowd how much he loves entertaining them. “I think my style of tennis suits the energy here in New York. That’s why I play my best tennis here,” he says. He reckons he still needs to work on his golf swing though. “It doesn’t look that good on the golf course, to be honest,” he jokes when asked about his celebration.
Alcaraz beats Rinderknech 7-6, 6-3, 6-4
Alcaraz, having generously allowed Rinderknech to hold four times in the third set, decides it’s time to finish things off, magicking an outrageous forehand winner from Rinderknech’s smash for 0-30 at 4-4! And the break inevitably follows. Alcaraz accelerates to 40-15 on his own serve, two match points, and he needs just the one. Cue his now customary golf swing celebration. He may not be the defending champion, but he’s the king of New York on this form. For me, he’s edged ahead of Sinner to become the favourite. Four matches in, he still hasn’t dropped a set and probably won’t have too many sleepless nights about facing Lehecka next in the last eight.
Townsend whips the crowd into a New York frenzy as she breaks with a perfectly placed lob! At 6-1, 3-1, that first slam singles quarter-final is getting much closer … can she see this over the line? She manages a wry smile after bashing into the net when the point was there for the taking … but she’s glaring when Krejcikova secures a break point at 30-40. Townsend moves forward … and this time courageously nails a backhand drive volley winner, similar to the one she missed a few points ago. Deuce. But she then coughs up a double fault to hand the break back. They’re back on serve at 6-1, 3-2.
The best part of 14,000 spectators sigh as Townsend slices into the net. From 40-0 up, it’s deuce. The American’s serve isn’t quite popping as it was, and it’s putting her under more pressure in the points. Townsend then drags wide and Krejcikova has her first break point of the match. Townsend will be furious with herself if she loses this game given the lead she had. A smart serve out wide and Krejcikova nets. And Townsend escapes with the hold. She’s 6-1, 2-1 ahead.
From 30-all, Alcaraz flicks the switch once again with a lights-out shot. 40-30. Game. Krejcikova, meanwhile, is refusing to, um, Czech out in the second set, and battles her way to her first hold since the opening game of the match. It’s 1-1 in the second, after Townsend took the first 6-1.
Another ridiculous point from Alcaraz – if there’s any space left on the match showreel – and he gets a break point in the opening game of the third set. But Rinderknech regroups. And holds.
Alcaraz, meanwhile, is vamosing as he serves out the second set to 15, taking it 6-4. He’s two-thirds of the way to a quarter-final against Lehecka.
With a two-break lead, Townsend has the freedom to go for every shot, and blasts two winners for 0-30. She combines that with a delicate drop shot for 0-40, three set points. And they’ve only been going 28 minutes. And Krejcikova nets! Townsend is 6-1 up and already just a set away from a first grand slam singles quarter-final! The crowd are screaming but she’s not smiling; she’s got her game face on. She’s focused on getting this job done.
Townsend, from 1-1, has got herself not one break but two. She leads 4-1. And will serve for a 5-1 lead. Unsurprisingly, there’s barely a spare seat in the house on Louis Armstrong. Townsend is looking so assured in only the second fourth-round singles match she’s ever played at a major; Krejcikova is cracking, with 14 unforced errors and only two winners. Townsend holds to 15 for 5-1.
From the sublime to the ridiculous for Alcaraz, as he promptly falls break point down at 30-40. But, just as he did in the first set, he finds a way, and gets to deuce. Rinderknech gets a second bp from there, but a big serve out wide saves it. Two quickfire points and Alcaraz holds for 7-6, 5-2.
Given their doubles pedigree, neither player will hesitate to come to the net in this match, and Krejcikova steps forward to settle the point to edge to her advantage in the third game. But Townsend takes the Czech back to deuce, just as Alcaraz decides it’s time to set off the fireworks on Ashe, moving to 0-15, 0-30, 0-40 with some sparkling hitting. Alcaraz thunders down a smash on the second break point to lead Rinderknech 7-6, 4-2. Even by the 2023 champ’s lofty standards, that was some game.
Krejcikova opens with a hold. Townsend responds with one of her own. “It’s been quite a journey to get here,” Lindsay Davenport says of Townsend on the commentary. “Being a single mother, trying to practice, travel the world. She sustained a concussion at the Miami Open and couldn’t play through to Roland Garros.” Despite these challenges Townsend is the world No 1 in women’s doubles, having won the Australian Open this year and Wimbledon last year, though Krejcikova’s doubles feats trump that – she has 10 major titles, to add to her two won in singles.
Emma Navarro and Mirra Andreeva Barbora Krejcikova and Taylor Townsend are just getting going on Louis Armstrong. I’m looking forward to this one: both have such intelligent games and both will be feeling confident after dumping out the 10th and fifth seeds respectively in the third round. Of course Townsend has been one of the central figures at this tournament, after being accused of having “no education” and “no class” by Jelena Ostapkenko in their second-round match, which prompted accusations of racism. If anything the storm has fuelled Townsend. Her performance against Andreeva was one of the best in her career. And victory today would put her in the quarter-finals of her home major – in fact any major – for the first time.
… a wicked second serve from Alcaraz helps make it 5-2. He’s making his challenger pay for that double. And a backhand error from Rinderknech hands Alcaraz four set points at 6-2. Rinderknech hits his first winner of the breaker, but it’s come too late, as Alcaraz wraps it up 7-3 on the next point. For all of Rinderknech’s resistance in the first set, his double fault in the breaker gifted the momentum to Alcaraz, who comes through his toughest set of the tournament so far.
… and a flick of the wrist from Alcaraz as he improvises with a forehand pass! Cue a smile almost as big as the Arthur Ashe Stadium. And then he thunders a forehand for 4-2 at the change of ends …
Refreshed, I’m not sure. I feel as if I’m suffering from a post-dinner slump. And Alcaraz is in a slump too as he unexpectedly nets to hand over a mini-break. Rinderknech leads 2-1 in the breaker. But the Frenchman double faults at the most inopportune of moments and hands the mini-break straight back. So it’s 2-2….
Righto, that’s me did; here’s Katy, refreshed and back to chill with you.
A lush volley, leaping towards the sideline, gives Alcaraz 40-15 – and he probably didn’t need to play it, Rinderknech’s attempted pass falling long. But at 40-30 there’s a bit of pressure, then a bit more when he serves into the net … for all he cares. A massive forehand, a hold, and a first-set tiebreaker.
Rindderknech holds for 6-5, then makes 0-15 … only for Alcaraz to land a backhand right in the corner. Even he wasn’t sure that’d stayed in, but in the event it was perfect.
Lehecka is delighted and especially pleased with how he came back after losing set three and going a break down in four. He’s now up to 15 in the live world rankings and says breaking the top 20 was one of his main objectives for the year.
When not playing tennis, he enjoys emptying his mind on the golf course, but really his hobby is spending time with the people he loves as he’s away 40 weeks of the year. I daresay, though, he won’t mind being in New York for just a little longer; we’ll see him again on Tuesday.
Alcraz looks like he should be in the keep fit class at the start of Back to the Future. He holds comfortably for 5-5.
Next on Armstrong: Barbora Krejcikova v Taylor Townsend.
Jiri Lehecka (20) beats Adrian Mannarino7-4(4) 6-4 2-6 6-2
Lehecka seals it with an ace and moves on to face Alcaraz or Rinderknech.
Very nice from Rinderknech who, at 30-all, takes so much pace off his serve that Alcaraz is through his shot too early, then produces a swerving, high-kicking, second-serve ace. At 4-5, Alcaraz must now serve to stay in set one.
A brutal forehand to the corner gives Lehecka 0-15, he breaks to love, and at 7-6 6-4 2-6 5-2 will shortly serve for the match.
Another hold for Alcaraz, and at 4-4 in set one, we’re moving into the pressure zone. Can Rinderknech maintain his level?
Oh, and Lehecka then breaks again for 3-2. After a pretty prolonged wobble, he’s not three holds away from the last eight – where he’d meet Alcaraz or Rinderknech.
Back on Armstrong, Lehecka might just’ve got himself going again, breaking Mannarino back before holding for 2-1 2-2. Mannarino is one of those players with a pretty decent top level, but who lacks the power to get by when not hitting it.
Now then. Rinderknech makes 0-15, then monsters a second serve back down the line, running around his backhand; Alcaraz can’t get away with landing the ball so short. And the Frenchman forces his way into the next rally with another terrific return, only this time he goes wide thereafter, before netting a volley, again when well in the rally. From there, Alcaraz secures his hold, and we’re at 3-3 in a really absorbing third set.
Oh man! Alcaraz plays a rubbishy drop, guesses which side Rindereknech will thump his clean-up, and though he’s right, runs past it. So he thrusts his racket behind his back, back the way he came … and somehow he makes a winner! What a ludicrous individual he is, and he creases at his own magnificence. It confirms his latest hold, and we’re 2-2 in the first, Lehecka leading Mannarino 2-1 0-2 on Armstrong.
A lovely flick down the line, Rinderknech marooned at the net, makes a game he had won closer, but he holds through deuce and leads Alcaraz 2-1. On Armstrong, Mannarino breaks Lehecka, leading 2-1, for 2-0 in set four. Has momentum shifted?
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