Preview:US Open: Barbora Krejcikova vs. Taylor Townsend - prediction, head-to-head, tournament so far

Doubles specialists Barbora Krejcikova and Taylor Townsend face off in Sunday’s fourth round at the US Open.

Krejcikova has reached the last 16 at a Grand Slam for the first time since winning Wimbledon last year, while the American player, ranked outside the top 100, has made it to this stage on home soil for the first time since 2019.

Match preview

Marathon queen Krejcikova has made a habit of securing three-set victories in Grand Slams over the past year, culminating in her first Wimbledon title and second major win.

The Czech star claimed three-set wins during her run to the 2024 Championships, beating Veronika Kudermetova in the first round, Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals and Jasmine Paolini in the final.

To show that her streak was no fluke, the 29-year-old recorded two more wins in her title defence this year, though she failed to secure a sixth consecutive win in a deciding set when she lost to Emma Navarro in the third round in July.

Not surprisingly, the world No. 62 got her revenge in New York against the American, overturning a first-set deficit to claim a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory, after recovering from a 0-3 deficit in the third set.

Following Friday's victory, Krejcikova, who had not reached the third round in New York since 2021, has now advanced to the last 16 for the first time since reaching the quarter-finals four years ago.

Now aiming to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in four years, the two-time Grand Slam singles champion and seven-time doubles winner hopes to avoid an upset against the in-form local player.

Townsend, a two-time Slam doubles champion, was ranked No. 139 before the US Open. Still, three wins over Antonia Ruzic, Jelena Ostapenko and Mirra Andreeva have drawn attention; however, the American player's victory over Ostapenko was marred by unsavoury scenes at the net when both players shook hands.

Having defeated the Latvian star, many predicted that Andreeva would end the 29-year-old's run at Flushing Meadows; however, Townsend secured a 7-5, 6-2 victory over the talented teenager in one hour and 16 minutes.

The upshot of defeating every opponent in straight sets means that Townsend has matched her 2019 run at the US Open, the American’s best Grand Slam performance to date.

After losing in three sets to Bianca Andreescu six years ago, the world No. 139 now aims for her first-ever Grand Slam quarter-final appearance in front of a partisan crowd.

The 29-year-old had lost in the opening round of every major in 2025 but is now on the verge of breaking new ground at Flushing Meadows, having not dropped a set en route to Sunday's last-16 match.

Tournament so far

Barbora Krejcikova:

First round: vs. Victoria Mboko 6-3 6-2

Second round: vs. Moyuka Uchijima 6-4 6-2

Third round: vs. Emma Navarro 4-6 6-4 6-4

Taylor Townsend:

First round: vs. Antonia Ruzic 6-4 6-4

Second round: vs. Jelena Ostapenko 7-5 6-1

Third round: vs. Mirra Andreeva 7-5 6-2

Head To Head

Launceston (2017) - Round of 32: Krejcikova 6-7(2) 6-2 6-2

Krejcikova leads her head-to-head against Townsend 1-0 before their 2025 meeting in the United States.

That victory, however, was achieved eight years ago, with the Czech player overturning a first-set deficit to win sets two and three comfortably.

Although a lot of time has elapsed since their 2017 encounter, Krejcikova securing that win on a hard court should give her a slight advantage heading into the upcoming last-16 clash.

We say: Krejcikova to win in three sets

You get the impression that Townsend’s chances are slim unless the match is decided in two sets; however, that is unlikely against Krejcikova, who is always willing to go the distance.

We back the two-time Slam champion to improve to 7-1 in three-set matches since Wimbledon last year and end the American’s dream run in New York.