TENNIS FRENCH OPEN – American teenager, Taylor Townsend has made a splash at this year’s French Open. Today she faced experienced Suarez-Navarro who did well to avoid a possible upset as she took out the young American in straight sets 6-2 6-2. Cordell Hackshaw
Interviews, Results, OOP, Draws from the Roland Garros
American teenager, Taylor Townsend has made a splash at this year’s French Open. The wild card entrant playing her first main draw in a major got to the 3rd round in spectacular fashion. The 205th ranked player knocked out her compatriot Vania King and then 20th seed Alize Cornet of France. Besides the nerves during the 2nd round match, understandably so in front of the very partisan French crowd, Townsend has played great tennis even earning rare compliments from the men’s tour by way of Andy Murray. However, her task against the very experienced Carla Suarez-Navarro (14) was not going to be easy. The Spaniard Suarez-Navarro is well aware of making a huge splash at one’s maiden major. In 2008, playing her first ever major, Suarez-Navarro made it to the quarterfinals. Therefore, Suarez-Navarro did well to avoid a possible upset as she took out the young American in straight sets 6-2 6-2.
Suarez-Navarro was out swiftly to a 4-0 lead in opening set. Townsend looked to be nervous as she was making careless errors. She had 11 errors by the 5th game and 18 altogether for the set with only 5 winners. The Spaniard exploited her opponent’s inexperience and brought out her A game to pin Townsend behind the baseline, the least favourite place on the court for the American. “She was playing very, very well in the first. She came out really playing well, playing strong. So that kind of put me on the ropes…” Townsend stated. The American was able to hold serve and break Suarez-Navarro at 2-4. The damage had already been done as the lead for too insurmountable and soon the first set was gone after 24 minutes; 6-2 Suarez-Navarro.
The second set saw Townsend being more aggressive and calmer with her shots. However, on all the big points, she failed to win. She saw break points in the 2nd game of the set to go up 2-0 and also in the 4th game to lead 3-1. She would have five opportunities to break in all in those two games but on none of them did she convert. Townsend herself noted the importance of those moments, “That game was huge. I think that that was the turning point. And if I would have won that game I think that would have given me a lot more momentum in the second.” Suarez-Navarro on the other hand was stellar. “I was there all the time, and I play really good. She helped me a little bit in the first set, but for me was okay” she stated. Suarez-Navarro served well, getting 78% of her first serves in and winning 67% of those points. She converted 5/7 break point chances including during the 7th game to serve for the match at 5-2. The Spaniard quickly got to triple match points but only converted on the 3rd as Townsend looked to get back into the match. Suarez-Navarro won 6-2 6-2 in a little over an hour.
Suarez-Navarro was complementary of her opponent, “She’s a very talented player. Is very difficult playing against her….[S]he has a really good serve. She has a really good forehand…I think she gonna be a really good player.” The Spaniard will next play Ajla Tomljanovic of Croatia in the 4th round.
