By Erik Gudris | @atntennis | Monday, June 2, 2025
Photograph credit score: Tony Chang/Chang Pictures
Madison Keys battled previous a rising American expertise to ebook 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
“Undoubtedly nonetheless completely happy to be right here. Issues had been as shut as they might have been to being gone as potential,” Keys mentioned afterwards, referring to saving three match factors in her earlier match with Sofia Kenin. “I feel you play just a little bit freer when you already know that, but in addition, big alternative at this time to form of get by way of that and make one other quarterfinal right here.”
“So just a little little bit of each. Somewhat bit grateful that I am nonetheless within the event, but in addition form of simply figuring out the chance that I had at this time, desirous to exit and play actually stable and ensure that I took benefit of that.”
Keys loved a cushty first set as her lesser skilled opponent regarded to seek out her kind. Baptiste, who has mentioned clay is her favourite floor, shortly discovered it within the second set. Baptiste loved an early service break, however then performed a poor recreation to drop her serve at love for 2-3.
Later within the set, Baptiste, 23, saved neck and neck with Keys and regarded probably able to drive a decider. Baptiste, exhibiting a potent all courtroom recreation, served her approach to 5-4 within the set after Keys simply missed on a forehand return whereas holding a break level. Keys’ expertise then confirmed by way of within the subsequent recreation. 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 beneath the Paris solar pic.twitter.com/O0sgLHBfQx
— Jimmie48 Pictures (@JJlovesTennis) June 2, 2025
Up subsequent is a well-known pleasant foe in No. 2 seed Coco Gauff.
This might be their sixth profession assembly and first since Madrid again in 2024. Keys feels Gauff is at her finest on clay.
“I feel Coco is clearly fairly dominant on clay. I’d say it is most likely her finest floor to play on,” Keys advised the media in Paris. “It is clearly an enormous problem. I feel for me it’ll be loads about attempting to stability 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 really over.
“So I feel that is at all times one of many trickier issues if you’re enjoying somebody who strikes in addition to she does. You then even have the menace in opposition to her of if at any level you form of lose management of the purpose, she’s going to be the aggressor.
“So I feel the largest factor is the stability of going for issues, however with sufficient margin that it is a repeatable ball, shot after shot.”
Having recognized 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 arduous for me at occasions to deal with it,” Keys mentioned. “I really feel such as you watch her, and he or she simply takes all of it in stride and continues to simply be 100% her, and I am at all times simply actually impressed by it.”
