NEW YORK — Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in only her fourth appearance at a major tournament by stopping the net-rushing US Open run of American qualifier Taylor Townsend 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 on Sunday.
The most memorable image of a terrific match had nothing to do with the tennis: As the clock hit midnight after the second set, Townsend jumped rope on the sideline while waiting for Andreescu to return from a bathroom break.
The 15th-seeded Andreescu’s big returns and pinpoint passing shots dominated the opening set, but Townsend adjusted in the second, waiting a bit before picking her spots to head to the net.
This was the fourth-round Slam debut for both. Each eliminated a former No. 1 and major champion along the way. Andreescu beat Caroline Wozniacki, while the 116th-ranked Townsend got past Simona Halep.
The 19-year-old Andreescu faces No. 25 Elise Mertens of Belgium for a spot in the semifinals.