At the Cincinnati Open in Mason, Ohio, Madison Keys delivered a dramatic comeback on Saturday, overcoming two match points to defeat Germany’s Eva Lys 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (1) in second-round play. The sixth-seeded American displayed resilience and power, using her serve brilliantly to turn the match in her favor despite falling behind early in the decisive set.
Keys battles back from deficit, dominates tiebreaker
Trailing 3-0 in the final set, Keys faced intense pressure. After missing a chance to close out the match on her service game at 5-4, she fought off two match points to force a tiebreaker. Keys then took control, winning the tiebreak 7-1 while landing 12 aces in total, an impressive feat against Lys, who was unable to produce any aces throughout the match.
I just kept trying to listen to everyone here cheering me,
Keys said.
It helped me get back into the match and across the finish line.
—Madison Keys, tennis player
Next challenge for Keys: rising Japanese star Aoi Ito
Keys advances to the third round, where she will face 21-year-old Aoi Ito from Japan on Monday. Ito caused one of the day’s notable upsets by defeating 27th-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, showcasing her growing potential on the tour.
Other notable performances and upsets in Cincinnati
Among the early surprises on Saturday was 19-year-old Australia’s Maya Joint, who overcame Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia in a marathon match lasting nearly three hours. Joint took advantage of 18 double faults by the 18th seed to win 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 and will meet 12th-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova, who defeated New Zealand’s Lulu Sun 6-4, 6-2.
Wimbledon champion and No. 3 seed Iga Swiatek from Poland defeated Russia’s Anastasia Potapova 6-1, 6-4, winning over 90 percent of her first-serve points. Swiatek’s next opponent will be 25th-seeded Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine, who overwhelmed Germany’s Tatjana Maria 6-0, 6-1.
No. 9 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan overcame Mexico’s Renata Zarazua 4-6, 6-0, 7-5, while Britain’s No. 30 seed Emma Raducanu booked her spot in the third round by beating Serbia’s Olga Danilovic 6-3, 6-2.
Seeded players who faced early exits
Some seeded players struggled on Saturday. Russia’s 13th seed Liudmila Samsonova fell to Taylor Townsend, who hit nine aces, losing 6-2, 6-4. Diana Shnaider, seeded 14th, also bowed out against China’s Yuan Yue with a score of 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. Canada’s 21st seed Leylah Fernandez lost 6-3, 6-3 to Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, while Poland’s 22nd seed Magdalena Frech was defeated by Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-4.
Implications and upcoming matches in the Cincinnati Open
Madison Keys’ comeback victory highlights her mental toughness and will boost her confidence for the upcoming rounds. Her opponent, Aoi Ito, represents the new wave of talent challenging established players, suggesting key matchups ahead. Meanwhile, with several seeded players already out, the tournament is shaping up to be unpredictable, promising exciting contests as it progresses through the third round and beyond.