Agnieszka Radwanska was upstaged by 18-year-old Ana Konjuh as her record of failing to reach the US Open quarter-finals continued.
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The victory lifted Konjuh to a last eight match against 10th-seeded Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, who overcame sixth-seeded American Venus Williams 4-6 6-4 7-6 (3) to advance.
Ana Konjuh, of Croatia, raises her arms after defeating Agnieszka Radwanska, of Poland, 6-4, 6-4 at the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Monday, Sept. 5, 2016, in NY.
Konjuh let three match points slip by in their dramatic second-round clash at Wimbledon earlier this year, but she only needed one to get the job done today against Radwanska. “I played her in Wimbledon”.
Radwanska accepted she had been outplayed by her opponent. “I think I didn’t have that many matches as I should. But I am very happy to come back to win”.
“I don’t know what would happen if that would be open”.
The teenager showed remarkable poise throughout the match that closed out the night session on the cavernous Arthur Ashe stadium. “I just didn’t go for it”. “It was the key of the match”.
Her aggressive, crafty tennis proved frustrating to Radwanska, who hit 13 unforced errors – a high figure for the usually stingy player – to just nine winners.
Hitting with heavy power from both flanks and registering as high as 118 miles per hour with her serve, Konjuh was too strong for Radwanska, who was only able to answer with nine winners of her own.
“I just said to myself, ‘Stay in the game”.
“I’m real excited about my performance tonight”, said Konjuh, who dealt with back and ankle injuries this season that sidelined her for a couple of months. “I want to enjoy today”.
In a tight second set, neither player faced a break point until Konjuh raced ahead to 0-40 in the ninth game, giving herself a chance to serve it out with a backhand volley victor.
Radwanska, who has never advanced beyond the fourth round of the US Open, continued: “Definitely it was only one break in the beginning, then I was not really close to break again”. Then I didn’t really hold my serve.
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“Then, well, I’m here not as a victor”.
