Sport
U.S. Open 2014: Serena Williams overwhelms Taylor Townsend
Townsend acknowledged afterward she was a tad overwhelmed by the occasion. Not only was this her U.S. Open debut, but she was facing a 17-time major champion under the lights in Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest arena in Grand Slam tennis.
“It was just a lot of different emotions and feelings that were coming. It was hard to deal with,” said Townsend, who beat a seeded player en route to reaching the third round at the French Open in her Grand Slam debut this year.
After losing Tuesday, Townsend referred to her 32-year-old opponent as one of her “tennis idols.”
“She’s an African-American woman from Compton, California, who has won 17 or 16 Grand Slam titles. Like, who would have thought? Anything is possible. She’s paved the way for me and not only African American girls but girls in general, people in general,” Townsend said. “Just has changed the game of tennis. I think I’ve just learned, like, from her story that anything is possible.”
Source: Associated Press
