Madison Keys delivered a resounding performance at the US Open, dispatching No. 9 seed Marketa Vondrousova in straight sets. Keys swiftly took the first set 6-1 and clinched the second set 6-4, successfully saving all nine break points in the match. Keys, currently ranked 17th in the world, is on a remarkable run at Flushing Meadows, and her stellar form has ignited hopes of an all-American final showdown with Coco Gauff, seeded fourth.
After 5 years, Madison Keys is back in the US Open semifinals! pic.twitter.com/tNLm3PNuVO
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 7, 2023
Keys, who originally hails from Rock Island, Illinois, has demonstrated outstanding form in this year's US Open. The match was interrupted in the first game as a spectator required medical attention, but Keys remained unfazed, proceeding to break Vondrousova's serve and securing the victory. Vondrousova, the Wimbledon champion earlier this year, faced an uphill battle throughout the match and couldn't capitalize on five break points in the eighth game of the second set. Keys' approach focused on shorter rallies and a more powerful serve, making her game plan clear. Reflecting on her strategy, she stated, "I have been really focusing on the serve... I think these courts, for the most part, are kind of taking the ball pretty well. So there is really no immediate need to overdo things."
This triumph propels Keys into the semifinals, where she will face off against No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka. Keys and Sabalenka previously clashed in the Wimbledon quarter-finals, with the Belarusian emerging victorious. Keys, however, remains positive, drawing lessons from their previous encounter, and she's poised to continue her impressive journey in New York as she squares off against Sabalenka on Thursday night for a spot in her second US Open final.
