US Open: Townsend upsets No. 5 Mirra Andreeva, Fritz marches into fourth round

Taylor Townsend delivered one of the shocks of the US Open on Friday night, ousting fifth seed Mirra Andreeva in straight sets to secure her place in the fourth round of a Grand Slam for only the second time in her career.

The 29-year-old American, currently ranked No. 139 in the world, prevailed 7-5, 6-2 under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium, producing one of the finest performances of her decade-long career. The result marked her third victory over a top-10 opponent and continues what has been an inspired run in New York.

"God damn this feels good," Townsend said after the match. "I've been putting in a lot of hard work."

Townsend, who attracted attention earlier in the week after a heated second-round encounter with Jelena Ostapenko, showed composure against her teenage opponent. She edged a tight opening set by breaking Andreeva at 6-5 before controlling the second with confident serving and aggressive shot-making.

US Open Day 6 Highlights

For Andreeva, considered one of the brightest young talents in the women's game, it was a disappointing end to a campaign that had begun with high expectations. Townsend, meanwhile, will next meet Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic, the 2021 French Open champion, for a place in the quarter-finals.

On the men's side, Taylor Fritz also progressed, defeating Swiss qualifier Jrme Kym 7-6(5), 6-7(9), 6-4, 6-4 to reach the last 16 of the US Open for the third consecutive year.

The match was a physical contest dominated by big serving, with the first two sets decided in tie-breaks. Fritz capitalised on Kym's errors to take the opener, but the 21-year-old Swiss responded superbly, saving three set points in the second to draw level.

The turning point came midway through the third set when Fritz earned the first break of the match at 4-3. Kym required treatment on his shoulder soon after, and although he battled gamely, he was unable to sustain the same level of power on serve. Fritz, backed by a consistent delivery that produced 20 aces, held firm to complete victory in just under three hours.

Kym, despite defeat, earned a standing ovation from the crowd inside Louis Armstrong Stadium for his spirited display across four sets. His shot-making and composure under pressure suggested a bright future on the professional circuit.

Fritz will next face Czech Tomas Machac, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.