On Monday, Madison Keys easily defeated Jessica Pegula in two sets to secure a place in the quarterfinals of the US Open.
Keys won 6-1 6-3 against world No. 3 Pegula and reach her second straight grand slam quarterfinal – she reached the same stage at Wimbledon earlier in the year.
Pegula was considered a top contender for the tournament due to her strong performance leading up to it. However, she was unable to gain momentum against her fellow countrywoman.
The 17th ranked player in the world, Keys, will be playing against the current Wimbledon champion, Markéta Vondroušová, in the upcoming round.
After winning her match, Keys expressed in her post-game interview that competing in the US Open always inspires her to give her top performance.
Keys expressed that she has had numerous extraordinary experiences in New York. She also mentioned the incredible feeling of being able to overcome tough situations during matches, in front of the energetic crowds.
Overcoming the favored team on their own turf
Pegula, hailing from Buffalo, New York and the daughter of the owners of the NFL team, the Buffalo Bills, was the favored hometown athlete against Florida native Keys.
Despite the large crowd at the Arthur Ashe Stadium rooting for her, Pegula appeared unsettled while playing against Keys.
The 28-year-old Keys dominated the opening set, only losing one game as she quickly took the lead in their fourth-round match. Her strong performance set the tone for the rest of the game.
Pegula displayed some signs of a potential comeback in the second set, but unfortunately it was not enough and Keys managed to break her serve once again, gaining control of the match.
Pegula’s chances of making a comeback were thwarted by persistent unforced errors, leading to Keys’ decisive victory in a quick 61 minutes.
“In 2017, Keys made it to the finals of the US Open and now, for the first time since the 2018 Australian Open and Roland Garros, she has reached the quarterfinals in two consecutive majors.”
This is her first victory against a top five seeded player at a major tournament since defeating Barbora Krejčíková in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Australian Open.
Source: cnn.com
