Krejcikova, after saving eight match points: "Everything was dramatic"

Andrés Tomás Rico | 1 Sep 2025 | 18.01

Krejcikova, after saving eight match points: "Everything was dramatic." Photo: Getty Images

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A true rollercoaster of emotions was experienced in the round of 16 match at the US Open between Barbora Krejcikova and Taylor Townsend. The American had eight opportunities to further cement her breakthrough role in this season's final Grand Slam, but fate, life, or simply the faith of the Czech player prevented her from winning a match she seemingly had in the bag (1-6, 7-6(13), 6-3). Krejcikova's resilience and composure earned her a ticket to the quarterfinals, where she will face Jessica Pegula.

The 2024 Wimbledon champion is known for handling tense moments with a calmness and conviction that can be surprising. However, no amount of skill can fully prepare you to survive eight match points against an American opponent with the entire crowd against you. Reflecting on this milestone achieved at the Louis Armstrong Stadium, the Czech player spoke in the post-match press conference, also touching upon her upcoming opponent, Jessica Pegula.

Eight match points saved

"Undoubtedly, in all of those match points, I was very brave, but I also had some luck at times because we had great rallies, and I faced them both while serving and returning. With all that, Taylor is a great player. She's playing fantastic tennis, serves really well, can come to the net, she can work any magic she wants. So, it was very challenging to know what would happen or what to expect. Basically, what I was doing was trying to place the ball on her side, in that space, and hoping to save it."

Delighted with the American crowd

"To be honest, the atmosphere was excellent. I mean, I really enjoyed the crowd. Though they were cheering for Taylor, which I already knew from the start. That’s just how things are. In fact, I like it. I like it when there's a crowd. I like it when they cheer. I like it when the atmosphere gets heated, that is. It's perfect. I enjoyed it. I am very happy to have had the opportunity to play at Louis Armstrong court and to have played against an American with such lively fans. I enjoyed it a lot. It was a very intense and challenging match. I am happy to have experienced it."

Handling emotions in tense moments

"When I'm on the court, I don't show many emotions. I mean, I have emotions, but I don’t display them when I'm there. I focus a lot on each point and try to show positive emotions, rather than negative ones. It was certainly very close, very dramatic, like a rollercoaster. When I'm on the court, I don't try to overanalyze things. I just go point by point and try to focus on the next one and the next one. If it works, great. If it doesn’t, that's okay. On to the next."

Jessica Pegula, opponent in the quarters

"I haven’t seen her play in this tournament, so I’ll have to watch. But from what I recall, we last played in Riad, which was an indoor court, so it's hard to compare. And before that, we played two years ago, so it was a long time ago. So, I hope it'll be another important match, a tough match, an intense match, and I hope it'll have a good ending for me."

Unconcerned about having less preparation time than Pegula

"I’m not worried. Right now, I'm not thinking about it. I’m just very happy to have won today because, well, if one point hadn’t gone the way I wanted, I would be looking for flights. So, it’s fine. I'm happy to be here, sitting here as a winner, giving this interview. I look forward to going to dinner, sleeping, and enjoying tomorrow. Rest a bit, then train and prepare for the next match," concludes a Barbora Krejcikova who never gave up and is now one of the eight best players in this US Open.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Krejcikova, después de salvar ocho bolas de partido: "Todo fue dramático"

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