Sara Bejlek captured a milestone victory at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, defeating Madison Keys 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) to reach her first career WTA 1000 semi-final. The 20-year-old overcame a first-set deficit and a tense third-set tiebreak to secure the result, continuing a dominant run through the tournament’s later rounds.
A Hard-Fought Comeback Against Madison Keys
Keys controlled the early stages of the match, racing out to a 6-3, 3-1 lead with an early break in the second set. According to match reports from Tennis Majors, Bejlek responded by winning five of the next six games to level the match and force a deciding third set.
The final set featured multiple shifts in momentum. Bejlek established an early advantage before Keys broke back to force a tiebreak. In the tiebreak, Bejlek moved ahead 2-1, watched Keys claim four of the next five points to trail 4-2, and then rallied again to draw level at 4-4 and 5-5. Bejlek captured the final two points to seal the 7-5 tiebreak win.
“I believe much more than I ever believed in myself,” Bejlek said after the match, as reported by Tennis Majors. “I just keep believing in the match no matter what, and that’s probably the thing that’s always in my head.”
Building a Resilient Run Through Cincinnati
Bejlek’s victory over Keys marks her third win against a Grand Slam champion in the span of a week at the Cincinnati WTA 1000 event. Her tournament path included straight-sets victories and gritty three-set battles:
- Defeated Karolina Pliskova 6-0, 6-2 in the opening rounds.
- Overcame No. 23 seed Barbora Krejcikova 7-6 (5), 6-4.
- Overcame a first-set deficit against No. 16 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova to win 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
- Stunned top seed Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 (7), 6-4.
- Defeated No. 19 seed Madison Keys 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) in the quarter-finals.
Next Opponent in the Semi-Finals
With the quarter-final victory secured, Bejlek moves forward to face the winner of the match between American fourth seed Coco Gauff and tenth seed Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine. The Cincinnati WTA 1000 semi-finals will determine who advances to the championship match.
Other notable results from the quarter-final stage include Jessica Pegula defeating ninth seed Amanda Anisimova 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (4), and Iga Swiatek leading Elena Rybakina 4-1 before a retirement ended the contest.
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