Madison Keys advanced to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 victory over sixth seed Elena Rybakina.
The 19th-seeded American extended her winning streak to nine matches with the triumph on Margaret Court Arena.
Rybakina, the former Wimbledon champion, had been dealing with a back injury, which affected her performance.
Despite a strong comeback in the second set, the Kazakhstani player struggled to counter Keys’ aggressive style.
Keys focused on making Rybakina’s service games competitive, aiming to get her racquet on every ball and return it over the net.
The match was closely contested. Keys took the first set after neutralizing Rybakina’s powerful serve, but Rybakina fought back in the second, winning four straight games to claim the set.
In the decider, Keys regained control, sealing the match with a stunning cross-court winner on her second match point.
Keys now moves on to face 28th seed Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals. Svitolina, who defeated Russian Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 6-1, spoke about the resilience that has guided her through the tournament, emphasizing her desire to bring hope to Ukraine through her victories.
With both players demonstrating exceptional skill and determination, the quarter-final promises to be an exciting clash.
The race for the Australian Open title is heating up, and Keys and Svitolina will bring everything they have to secure a spot in the semi-finals.
