Rising tennis star Madison Keys produced a coming of age performance to outplay and outgun No.4 seed Petra Kvitova in the third round of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Saturday.
Keys has been touted as one of the most talented prospects of women’s tennis, and against Kvitova she certainly lived up to the hype, triumphing, 6-4, 7-5 in Rod Laver Arena to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time. There she will face fellow American Madison Brengle, who defeated CoCo Vandeweghe, 6-3, 6-2.
“My hands are still shaking. I’m really glad I served that game out so well,” Keys said after winning. “Right now, I can’t even process anything - I’m just so excited to play Maddie in the next round.”
It is not often that Kvitova plays second fiddle in the power department, but time and again she was forced onto the back foot by her 19-year-old opponent. This pressure gradually began to take its toll, the Czech producing an error-strewn game to hand over the decisive break at the end of the opening set.
The two had played once before, Kvitova emerging a comfortable winner in Tokyo a couple of years ago, but the American was a different proposition this time. At the start of the second game, Kvitova needed her best tennis just to stay in touch. However, with a tie-break beckoning, she finally wilted, missing a backhand to give Keys the chance to serve for the match.
With the finishing line now in sight, Keys didn’t flinch, and if anything began to hit the ball even harder.
THE RESULTS
Men: Third round: 1-Novak Djokovic (Ser) bt 31-Fernando Verdasco (Esp) 7-6(8), 6-3, 6-4; 4-Stan Wawrinka (Sui) bt Jarkko Nieminen (Fin) 6-4, 6-2, 6-4; 5-Kei Nishikori (Jpn) bt Steve Johnson (USA) 6-7(7), 6-1, 6-2, 6-3; 8-Milos Raonic (Can) bt Benjamin Becker (Ger) 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.
12-Feliciano Lopez (Esp) bt Jerzy Janowicz (Pol) 7-6(6), 6-4, 7-6(3); Gilles Muller (Lux) bt 19-John Isner (USA) 7-6(4), 7-6(6), 6-4; Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Esp) bt Vasek Pospisil (Can) 6-2, 6-4, 6-4; 9-David Ferrer (Esp) bt 18-Gilles Simon (Fra) 6-2, 7-5, 5-7, 7-6(4).
Women: Third round: 1-Serena Williams (USA) bt 26-Elina Svitolina (Ukr) 4-6, 6-2, 6-0; 6-Agnieszka Radwanska (Pol) bt 30-Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 6-0, 7-5; 11-Dominika Cibulkova (Svk) bt 19-Alize Cornet (Fra) 7-5, 6-2; 18-Venus Williams (USA) bt Camila Giorgi (Ita) 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-1; 24-Garbine Muguruza (Esp) bt Timea Bacsinszky (Sui) 6-3, 4-6, 6-0; Victoria Azarenka (Brs) bt 25-Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (Cze) 6-4, 6-4; Madison Brengle (USA) bt Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 6-3, 6-2; Madison Keys (USA) bt 4-Petra Kvitova (Cze) 6-4, 7-5.
Mixed doubles: First round: Hao-Ching Chan (Tpe) & Jamie Murray (Gbr) bt Jarmila Gajdosova (Aus) & Mahesh Bhupathi (Ind) 4-6, 7-6(7), 10-8.
Boys: First round: Sumit Nagal (Ind) bt 5-Michael Mmoh (USA) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.
Girls: First round: Y. Pranjala (Ind) bt Katie Poluta (Rsa) 6-4, 6-3; Olivia Hauger bt Ojasvinee Singh 0-6, 6-4, 6-1.
