Taylah Preston's US Open Journey Ends Swiftly Against Taylor Townsend
Taylah Preston’s bright start in New York ended with a thud.
The 20-year-old Australian, the first from her country to reach the second round of this year’s US Open, was blown off court 6-1, 6-1 by big-hitting American Taylor Townsend in just 48 brutal minutes. A wildcard run that had hinted at possibility ran straight into a wall of pace and experience.
Townsend dictated from the first ball. Preston barely had time to settle before the American’s left-handed power dragged her around the baseline and out of the contest. There was no escape route, no foothold. By the time Preston found any rhythm, the scoreboard was already beyond repair.
She was one of five Australians slated for day-four action at Flushing Meadows. She was also the first to pack her bags.
Kasatkina falls after marathon escape act
If Preston’s exit was swift, Daria Kasatkina’s was anything but.
Australia’s top-ranked woman was bundled out by Paula Badosa, but only after a chaotic, stop-start encounter that stretched across two days and tested every nerve on court.
They resumed on Wednesday with Badosa leading 6-1, 2-1 after rain had halted play early in the second set. Kasatkina had already stared down three match points before officials called a halt on Tuesday morning (AEST), a decision that left the Russian relieved and Badosa incandescent.
The Spaniard, a former world No.2, had to sleep on the prospect of serving out the match. Fifteen hours later she walked back into Arthur Ashe-like tension on an outside court, tasked with closing from 5-4, deuce in the second.
Kasatkina refused to fold. Serving at 3-5 she saved two match points in a marathon 22-point game, then fended off six more as the set twisted into a test of stubbornness. She even carved out two break points to drag it back to 5-5, threatening to rip the match away from Badosa entirely.
The Spaniard held her nerve. After squandering opportunity after opportunity, she finally slammed the door, sealing the win and earning a second-round showdown with defending champion Coco Gauff. Relief for Badosa. Frustration for Kasatkina, who had turned a near-certain defeat into a genuine scrap before running out of road.
Aussies still in the hunt
The Australian story in New York is far from over.
Maya Joint is due on court this morning against ninth seed Elina Svitolina, chasing a place in the third round for a third straight year. It is a serious test against one of the tour’s most seasoned campaigners, but Joint arrives with the kind of quiet belief that comes from knowing she belongs on this stage.
Kim Birrell faces Russian 18th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, carrying the memory of a giant-killing into their clash. She took down world No.5 and 2024 US Open finalist Jessica Pegula at Roland Garros and has made it clear she believes another upset is there for her if she swings freely.
De Minaur battles rain, not nerves
For Alex de Minaur, the biggest opponent early in the week has been the sky.
New York’s stubborn rain again disrupted the top-ranked Australian’s campaign, delaying his first-round match so long that former champion Daniil Medvedev and American hope Alex Michelsen had already booked spots in the third round before he struck a ball in anger.
When he finally walked out for his opener against Italian qualifier Andrea Guerrieri on day four, de Minaur looked like a man on fast-forward. He tore through the first set 6-2 and surged to a 4-2 lead in the second in just 49 minutes, taking time away from Guerrieri with his trademark speed and aggression.
Then the heavens opened again. Another sprint back to the locker room. Another reset.
This time, the interruption didn’t rattle him. De Minaur returned to finish the job with minimal fuss, closing out a 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 win that put him into the second round and, at last, properly into the tournament.
The weather has stalled him. The draw will soon start to squeeze him. The question now is whether Australia’s standard-bearer can turn a stop-start beginning into a deep run in the city that never quite seems to stop raining.
