Madison Keys pulled off a stunning victory at the US Open by defeating third-seeded Jessica Pegula in an all-American clash. Keys won the match 6-1, 6-3, advancing to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2018.
Keys, who was the runner-up at the US Open in 2017, struggled in her recent performance at the Cincinnati tournament, where she was eliminated in the first round. However, she found her form on the New York hard courts and delivered an impressive performance against Pegula.
In the match, Keys dominated with 21 winners and displayed her powerful game. She broke Pegula's serve early in the first set with a backhand winner and secured another break in the sixth game. Pegula, who had won the Montreal title last month and had previously defeated Keys in their only meeting last year, struggled to find her rhythm and made uncharacteristic errors.
Despite Pegula breaking back in the second set, Keys maintained her composure and broke Pegula's serve again in the seventh game. Keys sealed the victory when Pegula sent a forehand shot into the net on match point.
Keys, who considers Pegula a close friend off the court, acknowledged the challenge of playing against a friend but emphasized the focus on business when they step onto the court.
Madison Keys will face ninth-seeded Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic in the quarter-finals. Vondrousova, who won Wimbledon in July, came back to defeat unseeded American Peyton Stearns 6-7, 6-3, 6-2 to reach this stage of the tournament.
For Jessica Pegula, it was another grand slam disappointment as she has reached the quarter-finals in multiple major tournaments but has yet to advance to the final four.
Pegula also had some consolation later in the day, reaching the quarter-finals of the doubles alongside Coco Gauff. The pair had previously reached the final of the French Open doubles earlier this year.