Eighth seed Madison Keys was up against rising star Naomi Osaka in the third round at the US Open. The 81st-ranked Japanese went toe-to-toe with the American in a tight contest. Both power hitters with massive forehands put on quite a show and shared the spoils in the tight first two sets to force a decider.
Osaka had the match on her racket a couple of times in the third set but squandered her lead allowing Keys to come back into the match. And in the ensued tiebreak, the American edged ahead to complete a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(3) victory handing the Japanese a heartbreaking loss.
Keys finds late break to seal a tight first set
Osaka was off to a bright start, converting an immediate break point in the opening game before consolidating the break for a 2-0 lead. However, that lead did not last long as Keys came firing back to level the set 2-2.
Both players were exchanging huge forehands and there was little to separate the two as the match progressed. Keys, who served first, got herself up to 6-5 as the match headed to a likely tiebreak. However, scoreboard pressure finally caught up on the Japanese as errors gave the American set point. Osaka followed it up with another error off her backhand as Keys grabbed a tight first set 7-5.
Osaka steps it up to force a decider
The second set was as tight as the first. Keys had the chance to take an early lead after setting up double break points in the second game. Osaka, however, was up to the task, fending off both points before holding for 1-1. The match continued with both players holding their serve with relative ease.
The breakthrough then came in the ninth game with Keys serving. Osaka forced the deuce before an unfortunate double fault from the American handed the Japanese her first break point of the set. Keys overcooked her forehand as Osaka grabbed the crucial lead. Serving for the set at 5-4, the Japanese remained composed to see out the set and force a decider.
Osaka races to a huge lead but fails to serve out as Keys escapes
The Japanese was on a roll, reeling off her third game in a row to gain an important lead in the start of the third set. Keys was piling on the errors while Osaka eased through her games with her huge forehands troubling the American. Another disappointing game for the eighth seed then gave the Japanese the double break and a comfortable cushion as she extended her lead to a staggering 5-1.
Keys, however, was not done and came up with an important hold to make Osaka serve for the match. Close to completing the upset, nerves were telling as a double fault handed the American double break points. Sensing the opportunity, a fired up Keys capitalized on the second break point to pull one of the breaks back for 3-5. Osaka then had another chance to serve out the match but agonizingly missed a volley at 30-30, gifting the American with another break point. That miss seemed to still play on her mind as her forehand went just wide allowing Keys to get right back into the match for 5-5.
The eighth seed had the momentum closing out her fourth game in a row to take the lead for the first time in the deciding set. This time, Osaka kept her cool to bring the set to a tiebreak. In the tiebreak, it was Keys who got a mini-break, coming up with two thumping forehand winners to race ahead to 5-2. The Japanese got one back but the American was the more calm of the two, setting up match points at 6-3. Osaka serving to stay in the match missed her forehand yet again as a relieved Keys sealed the victory in two hours and seven minutes.