By Erik Gudris | @atntennis | Monday, June 2, 2025
Picture credit score: Tony Chang/Chang Pictures
Madison Keys battled previous a rising American expertise to guide her place within the Roland Garros quarterfinals.
Subsequent for her: Coco Gauff, the highest ranked American girl.
No. 7-seeded Keys defeated Hailey Baptiste 6-3, 7-5 within the fourth spherical to return to the final eight in Paris for the third time in her profession.
Keys, who knocked off Iga Swiatek and No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to seize her maiden main on the Australian Open in January, remains to be within the hunt to presumably full a uncommon Calendar Grand Slam, ought to she win the title in Paris.
Keys wins the all-American conflict! 💪
🔜 Iinto the #RolandGarros quarters 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/vZ4G2kViRL
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 2, 2025
“Positively nonetheless completely happy to be right here. Issues had been as shut as they might have been to being gone as potential,” Keys stated afterwards, referring to saving three match factors in her earlier match with Sofia Kenin. “I believe you play somewhat bit freer when that, but in addition, enormous alternative at present to sort of get by that and make one other quarterfinal right here.”
“So somewhat little bit of each. A little bit bit grateful that I am nonetheless within the event, but in addition sort of simply figuring out the chance that I had at present, eager to exit and play actually strong and make it possible for I took benefit of that.”
Keys loved a cushty first set as her lesser skilled opponent appeared to seek out her kind. Baptiste, who has stated clay is her favourite floor, shortly discovered it within the second set. Baptiste loved an early service break, however then performed a poor sport to drop her serve at love for 2-3.
Later within the set, Baptiste, 23, saved neck and neck with Keys and appeared doubtlessly able to pressure a decider. Baptiste, exhibiting a potent all courtroom sport, served her strategy to 5-4 within the set after Keys simply missed on a forehand return whereas holding a break level. Keys’ expertise then confirmed by within the subsequent sport. After Keys held for 5-all, she introduced the stress again on Baptiste’s serve.
Ripping a 97 MPH forehand winner, Keys shortly discovered herself at 15-40. She then struck one other huge down the road forehand winner to safe the break for 6-5. Keys, serving for the match, fended off a break level, earlier than lastly sealing the win with a crosscourt forehand winner.
.@Madison_Keys in motion below the Paris solar pic.twitter.com/O0sgLHBfQx
— Jimmie48 Pictures (@JJlovesTennis) June 2, 2025
Up subsequent is a well-recognized pleasant foe in No. 2 seed Coco Gauff.
This will likely be their sixth profession assembly and first since Madrid again in 2024. Keys feels Gauff is at her greatest on clay.
“I believe Coco is clearly fairly dominant on clay. I might say it is in all probability her greatest floor to play on,” Keys advised the media in Paris. “It is clearly an enormous problem. I believe for me it will be quite a bit about attempting to steadiness going after issues, however figuring out along with her potential to cowl the courtroom, you are going to should win the purpose a number of occasions earlier than it is truly over.
“So I believe that is at all times one of many trickier issues while you’re taking part in somebody who strikes in addition to she does. Then you definately even have the risk in opposition to her of if at any level you sort of lose management of the purpose, she’s going to be the aggressor.
“So I believe the most important factor is the steadiness of going for issues, however with sufficient margin that it is a repeatable ball, shot after shot.”
Having identified and performed in opposition to Gauff, 21, for a while now, Keys, 30, remains to be impressed how the youthful American is ready to deal with all of the stress and a spotlight she receives.
“I am at all times simply actually impressed with the truth that she handles it so properly, as a result of she’s had much more success and extra media consideration than I had, and I do know that it was positively actually laborious for me at occasions to deal with it,” Keys stated. “I really feel such as you watch her, and she or he simply takes all of it in stride and continues to only be 100% her, and I am at all times simply actually impressed by it.”
