A face-to-face confrontation at the net and a verbal tirade form serial hothead Jelena Ostapenko has overshadowed Taylor Townsend’s second round US Open victory at Flushing Meadows in New York.

Townsend prevailed 7-5, 6-1 on Court 11 against 2017 French Open champion Ostapenko, who expressed her displeasure by pointing her finger at, and verbally barraging, her American opponent after the customary post-match handshake.

“She told me I had no class, I have no education and to see what happens when we get outside the US,” Townsend revealed in a post-match interview.

“I’m looking forward to it. I beat her in Canada outside the US. So let’s see what else she has to say.”

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Townsend is the world No.1 in doubles, but this is her first time advancing to third round of a grand slam in singles in two years.

The world No. 139 became the lowest-ranked American woman to defeat a past Grand Slam champion in singles at a major since Kristie Ahn defeated Ostapenko at the 2019 U.S. Open.

“I mean, it’s competition,” Townsend said. “People get upset when they lose.

“When she was playing well, I didn’t say anything. That just shows class.”

Ostapenko has a history of feisty spats after losses, doing so against Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic at Wimbledon four years ago.

The Latvian said she had “zero respect” for Tomljanovic and her behaviour was “terrible” as they walked away from the umpire’s chair, and the Australian replied that Ostapenko was “disgraceful”.

Earlier, Novak Djokovic overcame an early scare to reach the third round of the US Open on Wednesday as defending women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka prepared to step up her title bid.

Djokovic, who is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title, recovered from going a set down against American qualifier Zachary Svajda to complete a 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 win on the Arthur Ashe Stadium Court.

The 38-year-old Serbian legend had not played since his semi-final exit at Wimbledon in July before arriving in New York, skipping most of the North American hardcourt swing.

Djokovic said that while not at his best, he is hoping to play himself into form as the tournament progresses.

“That’s what I’m hoping, the deeper I go into the tournament the better I feel about my game,” he said.

“Obviously a bit different for me the last couple of years body-wise. I get the wear and tear quicker than I used to do.”

Djokovic’s victory sees him into the third round at the US Open for a record-equalling 19th time, where he will face either Britain’s Cameron Norrie or Argentina’s Francisco Comesana.

Norrie is one of only two British men left in the draw after fifth-seeded compatriot Jack Draper withdrew due to injury earlier Wednesday.

Draper reached the semi-finals in New York last year but missed warm-up events in Cincinnati and Toronto this year while nursing a bone bruise in his left arm.

“I tried my very best to be here and give myself every chance to play but the discomfort in my arm has become too much and I have to do what is right and look after myself,” Draper wrote on social media.

Draper’s second round opponent, Belgium’s Zizou Bergs, was given a walkover into the third round.

The withdrawal of Draper clears Jannik Sinner’s path towards defending his title. Sinner was due to face Draper in the quarter-finals.

Sinner’s half of the draw also opened up with 12th seed Casper Ruud falling to world No.107 Raphael Collignon of Belgium 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 in three and a half hours.

Last year’s runner-up, and the fourth seed, Taylor Fritz needing a similar amount of time to see of South Africa’s Lloyd Harris 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2, 6-4 with Harris fighting until the very end, saving four match points in the fourth sets.

American compatriot Frances Tiafoe, seeded 17, also progressed with a four-set defeat of qualifier Martin Damm. Tiafoe won 6-4, 7-5, 6-7 (8/10), 7-5.

In other men’s action on Wednesday, Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz looks to keep his campaign rolling with a night game against Italy’s Mattia Bellucci.

Zverev moves into US Open 2nd round | 00:46

– Raducanu rolls on –

In the women’s draw meanwhile, world number one Sabalenka also faces a night game, taking on Russia’s Polina Kudermetova on Arthur Ashe.

In other games on Wednesday, Britain’s Emma Raducanu continued her solid start to the tournament after dispatching Indonesian qualifier Janice Tjen in straight sets, winning 6-2, 6-1.

Tjen had become the first Indonesian player to reach the main draw of a Grand Slam in 21 years and followed that up with a first round upset of 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova.

But she was beaten comfortably by Raducanu, who is aiming to recapture the US Open title she won as an 18-year-old qualifier in 2021.

Raducanu will face either ninth seed Elena Rybakina or Tereza Valentova in the next round.

The unseeded Britain, who is back to full fitness after a series of injury problems in recent seasons, is relishing the prospect of facing a player of the caliber of 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina.

“She’s a top opponent. She’s won Wimbledon. She’s been at the top of the game for so long and very dominant and has big weapons, has a huge serve and big groundstrokes,” she said. “So I do want to see how my game suits and fits against the top.” While Tjen headed for the exit, another player from Southeast Asia, the Philippines’ Alexandra Eala, also saw her tournament come to an end.

Eala, the first player from the Philippines to win a Grand Slam singles match with her defeat of 14th seed Clara Tauson on Sunday, was beaten 6-4, 6-3 by Spain’s Cristina Bucsa.

Fourth seed Jessica Pegula is also into the third round after beating Russian Anna Blinkova 6-1, 6-3. There was a win too for veteran Victoria Azarenka, the 36-year-old two-time Australian Open champion from Belarus, who defeated Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-3, 6-3.