Madison Keys--who is 16 years younger than her opponent--met Venus Williams for the fouth time in her career in the Coupe Rogers. While Williams was battling some shoulder difficulties, she still lasted an hour and 50 minutes. Despite facing her fair share of adversity, Keys came away victorious to the tune of 6-1, 6(2)-7, 6-3.

Keys dominates early

It didn't take long for Keys to assert her dominance on serve in this match. Part of it was because of how big she was hitting her forehands, but Williams’ serve looked very wobbly—barely reaching 90 mph. Nonetheless, both players were able to hold through three games. Then things began to fall apart for the 36-year-old. After a backhand winner in the corner from the 21-year-old gave Keys a chance to break at 30-40, Venus attempted a backhand to the corner herself, but that one went just wide. The American youngster followed her break of serve with a dominant hold at love.  

To this point in the match, Williams struggled to move Keys around the court; the world number 12 was content to just sit in the middle of the court and crush forehands like a pitcher on the mound. Keys followed her aforementioned big hold with another strong return game. The break point was set up by a backhand into the net by the world number six and was finished when she couldn't finish an overhead volley—sending it just long.  

Up 5-1, Keys merely needed to hold serve once to close out the set, and that's just what she did. Another botched volley from Williams set up two set points at 40-15. She saved one with a backhand winner down the line; the other, on a backhand error from Keys. Nevertheless, the 21-year-old won the next two points with an ace followed by an unreturned serve to finish the set. It took Keys just 20 minutes to breadstick her countrywoman.

Madison Keys (pictured above) defeated Venus Williams in the third round of the Rogers Cup. Photo: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Williams bounces back

In the second set, Keys looked to continue her success and take advantage of Venus’ weak serves. For the third straight return game, the tenth seed saw a break point. It took five deuces and four break points, but the American broke serve to take a 1-0 lead. She consolidated the break with a hold at 30—showing no signs of letting up. The third game saw Williams finally get on the board, but it wasn't easy. She needed three game points to do it; however, she won it on her first ace of the match—a promising sign for the elder American. That game was also just her second service game without a break point.  

On the other side of the net, Keys was facing little pressure on her serve; she held again at love to lead 3-1. It appeared as though the thrashing would continue as the 21-year-old lead 15-40; despite seeing four break points in the game, the world number 12 couldn't break serve as Venus held to 2-3. The five-time Wimbledon champion began to show signs of life and, furthermore, signs of real aggression. She even saw some break points in the next game; Keys saved one with a well-timed drop shot. The second break point, though, wasn't saved as the young American carried a forehand wide. Order was restored, and the set was back on serve. Venus even took her first lead in a set after a two-deuce hold brought the score to 4-3. After slapping a backhand into the net, Keys faced another break point. She was able to save that one, but on the second break point, she hit another backhand into the net.  

Williams was now serving for the set at 5-3; the turnaround was complete. A trio of unforced errors opened the door for her opponent to break. On the second break point, Keys rocketed a forehand return cross-court to break back and get back on serve. Ending the tenth game with her sixth ace of the match, the tenth seed leveled the score at 5-apiece. The two competitors traded holds to send the set into a tiebreak that could decide the match. 

Keys won the first point of the tiebreak but then proceeded to lose the next five points on a string of unforced errors. She finally got her second point on an ace. After a backhand error from the younger American, the elder countrywoman saw four set points at 6-2. The set was won on a backhand return long by Keys. 58 minutes after losing the first set in embarrassing fashion, Williams leveled the match at one set apiece. She had learned to overcome her weak serve, while her opponent’s play began to drop off—making 34 unforced errors in the set. 

Keys finishes strong

Keys wasted no time getting her first break of the deciding set. After holding at 30, she broke serve after two deuces on a Williams backhand error. Up 2-0, the American youngster blasted her way to a hold at 30. She was now halfway to a third set victory, 3-0. 

Venus was finally able to win a game—paced by smart shots to a hold at 30. In response, the 21-year-old held in commanding fashion at love and, with a 4-1 lead, was just two games away from the quarterfinals. Williams wasn't done yet, though. The 36-year-old was able to hold once more for her second game in the decider. Some more big serving helped Keys hold at 30 in the next game—despite racking up her 50th unforced error in the process. For the third time in the third set, the world number six held. Up 5-3, Keys served for the match. Her first match point came on a forehand crushed down the line, and the match was ended via her 12th ace. 

With a round three win, Keys will move on to face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova—who upset fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska—in the quarterfinals.

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About the author
Jeffrey Waitkevich
I write about basketball and tennis. I am a strong believer in Magic but only in Orlando.