(Melbourne) Defending champion Madison Keys defeated Ukrainian Oleksandra Oliynykova 7-6 (6), 6-1 in the first round of the Australian Open on Tuesday.
Keys, seeded No. 9, found herself in difficulty on the Rod Laver Arena court, trailing 4-0 in the first set.
Oliynykova, playing her first Grand Slam main draw match, also led 4-0 in a tiebreaker.
However, she missed two set points, giving Keys the opportunity to win the set.
The first round lasted 1 hour and 12 minutes, while the second was completed in half an hour.
Oliynykova destabilized Keys, especially in the first set, with high lobs that forced the American back far behind the baseline.
PHOTO MARTIN KEEP, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Madison Keys
The Ukrainian’s solid defense and atypical play allowed her to stay in the match.
However, she was gradually overwhelmed by Keys’ power and rhythm.
“I was nervous at first,” Keys admitted. Oleksandra is a fierce competitor, she definitely made things difficult for me. I am very happy to have turned the tide and continued on my way. »
Ninth in the world, Keys takes part in a 50e major tournament, including 12 appearances at the first stage of the Grand Slam.
Since losing to Zheng Jie in 2012, she has won 11 consecutive first-round matches in Melbourne.
On Tuesday evening, Hugo Gaston of France will play Jannik Sinner of Italy, the tournament champion in 2024 and 2025.
