Madison Keys sprang an upset on third seed Coco Guff on Monday as she won a battle of US Open champions 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-4 for a first-time spot in the Madrid Masters quarter-finals.
The New York Grand Slam titleholder from 2017 will next face former Madrid winner Ons Jabeur for a semi-final place.
Keys twice trailed – first and third sets – but completed her win in two and a half hours over the world No. 3 Gauff.
It was Gauff’s first loss this season to an American compatriot after five wins.
Keys has been repairing her record in Madrid after going out in the first round on seven of nine previous appearances.
Key will play her first clay-court quarter-final at the Masters 1000 level since Rome in 2016.
The win over Gauff contained 29 combined break point chances with each woman breaking seven times while Gauff contributed 13 double-faults in her defeat.
“I definitely had to stay tough,” Keys. “Staying calm and trusting myself, and getting myself out of tough sets was really important.
“I was just trying to take the opportunities when they presented themselves.”
Eight seeded upcoming opponent Jabeur has defeated Keys in both of their previous matches without the loss of a set.
Top seed Iga Swiatek continued her complete dominance here, producing
a second straight 6-1, 6-0 victory as she crushed Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo.
The world No. 1 Pole lost a mere five points in the second set and has reached the last eight with only nine games lost.
Swiatek now plays 11th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia after the Brazilian put out fifth-seeded Maria Sakkari after defeating the No.5 seed 6-4, 6-4.
Main photo:- Madison Keys by Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd
