Seventh seed Madison Keys began her US Open in style, blitzing Timea Babos 6-1, 6-1 on Louis Armstrong Stadium. Needing just 55 minutes to record the victory, the 2017 finalist hit 19 winners and never faced a break point against the 101st-ranked Hungarian.
Keys breezes into second round with thumping victory
After an opening hold, Keys was handed the break and a 2-0 lead after Babos double-faulted on break point. A love hold quickly consolidated her advantage, which was now 3-0. The deficit could have been worse for the Hungarian, but she managed to hold after facing deuce.
The second break would soon come for the American. Holding a 15-40 lead on the Babos serve, she watched as the world number 101 saved both break opportunities, but given a third chance, she converted when Babos misfired on a forehand that went long.
Serving for the set at 5-1, Keys fell behind 15-30, but rebounded to bring up set point with a midcourt forehand winner and made no mistake with an ace to close out a dominant opening set that saw her win 14 out of 15 first serve points.
Babos held to begin the second set, but that would prove to be the only game she would win as Keys broke soon after to go ahead 2-1. Another easy hold made it 3-1 and the 2017 finalist was in cruise control as she stretched her lead to 4-1 after the Hungarian punched a volley wide.
A love hold brought Keys to within one game of victory and she was at match point when Babos sent a backhand wide. Fittingly, it was an error, a forehand sent into the net by the Hungarian. that punctuated a first-class performance by the world number 14.