WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Taylor Townsend was born in Chicago, but spent several of her formative years in the nation’s capital learning the game of tennis.

Lately, she’s been better known for her doubles prowess -- she’s No. 2 in the PIF WTA Doubles Rankings, right behind her regular partner Katerina Siniakova. Still, her singles game isn’t too shabby either.

Washington, D.C.: Draws | Scores | Order of Play

Townsend defeated Tatjana Maria 6-4, 7-5 on Monday at the Mubadala Citi DC Open to advance to the second round. Townsend was trailing 4-0 in the second set and came back to win six of the last seven games.

In the second round of singles, Townsend will face No. 6 seed Sofia Kenin, a 6-3, 7-6(4) winner over Hailey Baptiste. Local favorite Baptiste served for the second set, but was broken. Baptiste also took a 2-0 lead in the tiebreak before Kenin pulled away, winning with a big forehand return.

Kenin has a 4-2 head-to-head edge over Townsend. Kenin won their most recent match 7-6(5), 6-2 in the first round of 2025 Wimbledon.

Managing momentum: In a matchup between mothers on tour (Townsend gave birth to son Adyn in 2021), the American, currently ranked No. 97 in singles, was terrific under pressure, saving eight of 10 break points. She broke Maria’s serve four times.

Maria, the 37-year-old mother of Charlotte and Cecilia, had an astonishing run last month on the grass at Queen’s Club. She took down four Top 15 players -- Karolina Muchova, Elena Rybakina, Madison Keys and Amanda Anisimova -- to take that WTA 500 title.

But Tuesday was Townsend's day in D.C. 'I think I did a really great job of managing her difficult style of play,” Townsend said afterward. “We don’t play a lot of players that play that way, who hit slices that consistently. It was difficult to gauge my shots and not overplay. That’s what was happening in the second set.

“I was able to just reel it in and go inward. I was getting a little frustrated -- I’m not going to lie. That’s a key of her game, to frustrate her opponent into making you feel like you’re playing bad.”

Later, Townsend and first-time partner Zhang Shuai were 6-3, 6-1 winners over Cristina Bucsa and Nicole Melichar-Martinez in doubles. That sent them into a Wednesday quarterfinal match against 45-year-old Venus Williams and Hailey Baptiste.

“I honestly commend [Williams] so much for being out here. It was 92 degrees and she was doing [practice] 2-on-1s with some young guys. That’s why she’s a champion.

“I don’t have any expectations, I’m just going to go and play tennis. I’m going to enjoy it – I think it’s going to be fun. But I’ve still got a job to do.”

More results: Also on Tuesday, qualifier Caroline Dolehide was a 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-3 winner over two-time 2025 WTA titlist McCartney Kessler, in a match that ran more than two and a half hours. Dolehide will play No. 4 seed Clara Tauson in a second-round match.

And Anna Kalinskaya defeated qualifier Kamilla Rakhimova 6-2, 6-3 to advance to a match against No. 8 seed Magda Linette.