(13) MADISON KEYS (USA) D. (4) ANGELIQUE KERBER 2-6, 7-6(3), 6-4
Madison Keys rolled into the tournament quarterfinals for the first time by taking her second victory and breaking a five-match losing slide against current Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber.
Keys used stellar serves to bounce back from a 2-6 opening set loss in which Kerber won 67 percent of her second return points.
Keys was 71 percent on first serves, took 69 percent of her first serve points and ripped nine aces to raise this season’s two-match tournament total to 17.
It was only fitting Keys put the match away by delivering a deep serve to the corner and lacing Kerber’s return for a forehand winner down the line.
"I think that today specifically I was just really good at staying focused on a couple of things and not letting my mind wander or getting ahead of myself," Keys said. "I think I just did a really good job when I needed to of making balls that I needed to, rusting my game and knowing, 'okay, I have this forehand, now I can go for it.'"
She moves to her fifth quarterfinal this season with her sixth victory against a world top-five.
ELISE MERTENS (GERMANY) D. (3) SLOANE STEPHENS (USA) 7-6(8), 6-2
Twenty-two-year-old Elise Mertens continued her impactful tournament debut by advancing to her third straight and seventh quarterfinal this season with a victory in her first clash with world No. 3 Sloane Stephens.
Following the tight first set, Mertens reared back and delivered three of her seven matches in a second set in which she won 71 percent of her first serve points.
“If you play against the top-10 players a bit more, you know the level a bit more. “I’m here and I’m really happy,” Mertens said after notching her second victory against a world top-five and 75th career main draw victory.
Mertens is now 8-1 against opponents playing in their home country this season. Three of those triumphs were earned against Americans.
Stephens, last year’s tournament semifinalist, became the second current or defending Major champion eliminated from the main draw today. Her W&S Open record slips to 13-6.
2018-08-17
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