By Erik Gudris | @atntennis | Monday, June 2, 2025
Picture credit score: Tony Chang/Chang Images
Madison Keys battled previous a rising American expertise to guide her place within the Roland Garros quarterfinals.
Subsequent for her: Coco Gauff, the highest ranked American girl.
No. 7-seeded Keys defeated Hailey Baptiste 6-3, 7-5 within the fourth spherical to return to the final eight in Paris for the third time in her profession.
Keys, who knocked off Iga Swiatek and No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to seize her maiden main on the Australian Open in January, remains to be within the hunt to presumably full a uncommon Calendar Grand Slam, ought to she win the title in Paris.
Keys wins the all-American conflict! 💪
🔜 Iinto the #RolandGarros quarters 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/vZ4G2kViRL
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 2, 2025
“Undoubtedly nonetheless glad to be right here. Issues had been as shut as they might have been to being gone as doable,” Keys stated afterwards, referring to saving three match factors in her earlier match with Sofia Kenin. “I believe you play just a little bit freer when you understand that, but in addition, big alternative at present to form of get via that and make one other quarterfinal right here.”
“So just a little little bit of each. Just a little bit grateful that I am nonetheless within the match, but in addition form of simply understanding the chance that I had at present, desirous to exit and play actually stable and be sure that I took benefit of that.”
Keys loved a cushty first set as her lesser skilled opponent regarded to search out her kind. Baptiste, who has stated clay is her favourite floor, shortly discovered it within the second set. Baptiste loved an early service break, however then performed a poor recreation to drop her serve at love for 2-3.
Later within the set, Baptiste, 23, stored neck and neck with Keys and regarded doubtlessly able to power a decider. Baptiste, displaying a potent all court docket recreation, served her strategy to 5-4 within the set after Keys simply missed on a forehand return whereas holding a break level. Keys’ expertise then confirmed via within the subsequent recreation. After Keys held for 5-all, she introduced the stress again on Baptiste’s serve.
Ripping a 97 MPH forehand winner, Keys shortly discovered herself at 15-40. She then struck one other massive down the road forehand winner to safe the break for 6-5. Keys, serving for the match, fended off a break level, earlier than lastly sealing the win with a crosscourt forehand winner.
.@Madison_Keys in motion beneath the Paris solar pic.twitter.com/O0sgLHBfQx
— Jimmie48 Images (@JJlovesTennis) June 2, 2025
Up subsequent is a well-known pleasant foe in No. 2 seed Coco Gauff.
This can be their sixth profession assembly and first since Madrid again in 2024. Keys feels Gauff is at her greatest on clay.
“I believe Coco is clearly fairly dominant on clay. I might say it is most likely her greatest floor to play on,” Keys instructed the media in Paris. “It is clearly a giant problem. I believe for me it should be rather a lot about attempting to stability going after issues, however understanding together with her means to cowl the court docket, you are going to need to win the purpose a number of instances earlier than it is really over.
“So I believe that is at all times one of many trickier issues once you’re enjoying somebody who strikes in addition to she does. You then even have the menace in opposition to her of if at any level you form of lose management of the purpose, she’s going to be the aggressor.
“So I believe the largest factor is the stability of going for issues, however with sufficient margin that it is a repeatable ball, shot after shot.”
Having identified and performed in opposition to Gauff, 21, for a while now, Keys, 30, remains to be impressed how the youthful American is ready to deal with all of the stress and a spotlight she receives.
“I am at all times simply actually impressed with the truth that she handles it so nicely, as a result of she’s had much more success and extra media consideration than I had, and I do know that it was positively actually laborious for me at instances to deal with it,” Keys stated. “I really feel such as you watch her, and she or he simply takes all of it in stride and continues to simply be 100% her, and I am at all times simply actually impressed by it.”
#Clay #Floor
