Madison Keys cruises through to US Open semifinals after convincing win
By Thomas Schlachter, CNN
(CNN) — Madison Keys booked her place in the US Open semifinals with a convincing win against reigning Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová.
The American cruised past her opponent with a 6-1 6-4 victory – much to the delight of the US fans at Flushing Meadows.
Keys stamped her authority on the occasion with a dominant start to the quarterfinal matchup. The 28-year-old won the opening five games of the match and looked in complete control.
After Keys took the first set 6-1, the second set was a much more competitive affair. The world No. 17 eventually broke Vondroušová’s serve in the ninth game of the second set to help seal a 6-1 6-4 win.
“I think I have had just a really good mindset going into the matches. Have been trying to be maybe just a little bit more emotionally balanced,” Keys said on her US Open success postgame.
After breezing past the world No. 9 in just an hour and 26 minutes, Keys has set up a semifinal matchup with Aryna Sabalenka.
The pair recently squared off against each other at Wimbledon where Sabalenka beat Keys in straight sets.
The American will be looking to exact revenge against Sabalenka in front of what will be a vociferous New York crowd.
“I think there is obviously a lot of things that I can take from the match. The No. 1 thing being she beat me,” Keys said on the lessons learned from their last meeting. “But I think that there is still going to be similar patterns and tendencies that she has that I can definitely lean into.”
Despite the July loss, Keys believes there were still positives she has taken from that matchup.
“In the second set at Wimbledon, I was up a break and I had chances. I was definitely in the match and had opportunities, so I think even though I lost that match, it wasn’t like I wasn’t in the match, and I had no idea what I was doing out there.
“So I think there is a lot of positives that I can take out of that match and try to implement [Thursday].”
Keys will face Sabalenka on Thursday evening following the conclusion of Coco Gauff’s match against Karolína Muchová.
The-CNN-Wire
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