Jelena Ostapenko has accused Taylor Townsend of getting “no education and no class” after dropping to the American 7-5 6-1 within the second spherical of the US Open on Wednesday.
Townsend was trailing 3-5 within the opening set on Court docket 11 earlier than she gained 9 straight video games towards the 2017 French Open champion to achieve the higher hand within the second-round conflict and shortly secured the victory on serve to set free an enormous roar.
After Townsend sealed the win, she approached the Latvian for a handshake on the web however an altercation ensued, with Ostapenko telling Townsend that she ought to apologise for a shot that hit the highest of the online and never warming up within the typical method by practising volleys first.
The ladies’s doubles world No 1 walked away earlier than celebrating her upset of the twenty fifth seed by whipping the gang right into a frenzy.
“It’s competition, people get upset when they lose and some people say bad things,” mentioned Townsend in her post-match interview.
“She told me I have no class, I have no education and to see what happens when we get outside the US. I’m looking forward to it. I beat her in Canada outside the US so let’s see what else she has to say.”
Increasing on what occurred later in her press convention, Townsend mentioned: “I did not again down since you’re not going to insult me, particularly after I carried myself a sure sort of method with nothing however respect.
“If I show respect to you, I expect respect as well. That’s just the fact of the matter. I think that that’s tennis. It was unfortunate, but it’s something I can put on my TikTok.”
Ostapenko took to Instagram to clarify her facet, accusing Townsend of unsporting behaviour.
“I told my opponent that she was very disrespectful as she had a net ball in a very deciding moment and didn’t say sorry, but her answer was that she doesn’t have to say sorry at all,” mentioned Ostapenko.
“There are some rules in tennis which most of the players follow and it was (the) first time ever that this happened to me on tour. If she plays in her homeland it doesn’t mean that she can behave and do whatever she wants.”
Townsend was not impressed along with her opponent’s take, saying: “I think it’s comical. To then go online and have to justify what you said, you obviously feel some type of way and feel like you have to give an explanation for how you acted.”
Townsend prevailed in a tricky conflict towards former French Open champion Ostapenko
Requested if she felt the feedback had racist undertones, Townsend added: “I’m very proud as a black woman being out here representing myself and representing us and our culture.
“I make it possible for I do the whole lot that I can to be the perfect illustration potential each time that I step on the court docket and even off the court docket.
“So I can’t speak on how she felt about it. That’s something that you’re going to have to ask her. I didn’t take it in that way, but also, that has been a stigma in our community of being not educated and all of the things when it’s the furthest thing from the truth.”
In a later put up on Instagram, Ostapenko mentioned: “I was never racist in my life and I respect all nations of people in the world.”
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Highlights of Mirra Andreeva and Anastasia Popapova on the US Open
Townsend strikes on to play Mirra Andreeva in spherical three on Friday after the fifth seed crushed Anastasia Potapova 6-1 6-3.
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