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'I am shooketh': US Open epic sends internet into meltdown

Andrew Reid

Unheralded American Taylor Townsend has become the talk of the tennis world after knocking out big gun Simona Halep in a second round epic at the US Open.

The 23-year-old local hope’s 2-6 6-3 7-6 (7/4) win came off the back of an astonishing exhibition of attacking tennis that saw her come to the net more than 100 times throughout the match.

After top seed Naomi Osaka won comfortably earlier in the day, most observers would have expected the same for Halep after the fourth seed raced away with the first set 6-2 against the World No.118.

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Buoyed on by a parochial home crowd, however, Townsend turned the match on its head in spectacular fashion.

Taylor Townsend stunned Simona Halep at the US Open.
Taylor Townsend stunned Simona Halep in a second round epic. Pic: Getty

The 23-year-old took the game to Halep in the second set as she claimed it 6-3 to set up a decider.

Townsend had the former World No.1 on the ropes in the third set but Halep managed to hold serve to stay in the match at 5-4.

With her chance to serve for the match, Townsend kept attacking at the net and was on the cusp of victory.

However, Halep was able to stave off two match points before taking a sea-sawing game to level the contest up at 5-5.

Halep's big-game nous came to the fore at the business end of the match, however, as she held serve again to go up 6-5.

Fourth seed Simona Halep crashed out in the second round.
Fourth seed Simona Halep had no answers to the unheralded American. Pic: Getty

The Romanian set up a match point at 30-40 in the 12th game but again the American rallied, winning the next three points to send the match to a tiebreak.

Townsend didn’t hesitate once from the serve-volley approach that was causing her rival so many problems.

Fittingly, it was at the net where the local hope was finally able to capitalise on a match point as she bundled Halep out to send the internet into meltdown.

Incredibly, the win was Townsend’s first ever career victory over a top 10 player.

Reigning champion safely through

Naomi Osaka has continued her bid for a second straight US Open title with a business-like 6-3 6-4 win over Magda Linette to book her place in the third round.

The reigning champion - who shared a heartwarming moment with a young fan after the win - smacked 13 winners against her Polish opponent.

After struggling with nerves in her gruelling first-round match, Osaka was calm and collected on Louis Armstrong Stadium court as she set up a possible third-round showdown with Coco Gauff.

After a one-sided first set, trouble brewed for the world No.1 when Linette raced out to a 3-0 lead in the second on a sun-soaked court.

But the 21-year-old Japanese kept her composure and battled back, hitting a deft volley on match point to seal the win before an adoring crowd including former San Francisco 49er Colin Kaepernick and former Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant.

Naomi Osaka was impressive in her second round win.
Naomi Osaka. Pic: Getty

Next up for Osaka is either qualifier Timea Babos or 15-year-old American wildcard Gauff.

While Osaka moved on, another two-time grand slam champion was eliminated when sixth seed Petra Kvitova was upset by Andrea Petkovic 6-4 6-4.

Meanwhile, Australian No.2 Ajla Tomljanovic fought hard in searing heat before bowing out 4-6 7-5 6-2 to Estonia's world No.21 Anett Kontaveit.

Other early winners included No. 16 Johanna Konta, who routed Margarita Gasparyan 6-1 6-0; and No. 20 Sofia Kenin, who swept past Laura Siegemund 7-6 (7-4) 6-0.

With agencies