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Madison Keys reached the quarterfinals of the US Open for the third time in her career. The American player won the derby with Jessica Pegula playing an almost perfect match and putting her compatriot in difficulty from the first to the last exchange.
Keys decided to bet everything on a tennis that was as aggressive as it was effective and she gave Pegula a clear 6-1, 6-3. The Rock Island native also overcame the only empty pass experienced in the entire match without worries, when in the second set she lost the break of advantage by missing two backhands in a row at 30-30.
The reaction was immediate, as Keys took her side the next three games and settled the score.
Keys: "Now I try not to put too much pressure on myself"
In the press conference she explained: "I tried to keep up, I expected her to raise the level a bit.
I told myself not to fuss and to stay focused. I wanted to shorten the rallies, because Jessica defends well and always manages to get away with it when rallies get long. I tried to hit the ball as best I could on the first two or three shots; things went well, fortunately.
To have had a lot of success in this tournament in the past is fantastic. In recent years I have not been able to live the path I wanted. This year I had no expectations: I only thought about playing tennis and I reached the quarterfinals.
Mental health is best when I play with lower expectations and don't put too much pressure on myself. I have a better approach when I do it, I try to enjoy it now." Keys' next opponent will be reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova: "I haven't watched the Wimbledon final much, but she's a great player.
In 2019, she played the final at the Roland Garros. I think her career hasn't been so beautiful before winning Wimbledon just because of injuries. When she can play 100%, she's a great player. I think she has a unique style."