It’s only half a surprise. Defending champion Madison Keys, 9th in the world, was eliminated this Monday in the round of 16 of the Australian Open by her American compatriot Jessica Pegula (6-3, 6-4). The 6th in the world, a great friend of her opponent with whom she hosts the podcast “The Player’s Box”, was more constant and serene throughout the match.
Keys created a surprise last year in Melbourne by beating world No. 1 and double defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the final. This year, it is Pegula, finalist of the 2024 US Open, who will face another American, Amanda Anisimova (4th) for a place in the last four.
“I focused on what I had to do. In the first set, she made some good plays and I had to take my chances on her second service balls. In the second set, when she broke me, I was on the side where the sun was blinding on the serves so I wasn’t worried,” commented Jessica Pegula.
Too many unforced errors
Imprecise, Madison Keys made a lot of unforced errors (28 in total), including crude ones like this serve which bounced a meter in front of the baseline or this wooden smash which flew away.
She did not put up much resistance to Pegula in the first set and things did not improve afterwards: Keys lost her entry serve, notably committing three double faults. Then, she lost her faceoff again to let Pegula fly away 4-1.
Taking advantage, according to Pegula, of his opponent’s difficulties in serving against the sun, Keys made a break behind and came back to 3-4 but was never able to repeat the second. She therefore abandons her title, the only Grand Slam of her career.
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