The women’s event at the US Open has been turned on its head, with a string of upsets removing several of the leading seeds as the tournament entered its second week. A draw that appeared orderly has instead produced one surprise after another.
The standout result was Taylor Townsend’s straight-sets win over fifth seed Mira Andreeva, 7-5, 6-2, in a match of just 76 minutes. Townsend dominated with big serving and constant pressure at the net, and described herself afterwards as “emerging as a new person.”
The shocks kept coming. Barbora Krejcikova ended the run of tenth seed Emma Navarro, and Marketa Vondrousova beat eighth seed Jasmine Paolini, each sending home a fancied name earlier than anyone expected.
Krejcikova pointed to the New York crowd as her edge, saying the atmosphere “pumped me up” in the closing game, a reminder of how the energy of a night session can tilt a tight contest.
With so many seeds gone, the draw has opened for players who might have faced a far harder path, and form now looks a surer guide than ranking. The tournament runs to 7 September, and on this evidence the women’s title is wide open.
