Keys beats Kostyuk to Wimbledon fourth round

WIMBLEDON, England — Madison Keys has a big, pounding game that seems made for grass. And yet Wimbledon is the only one of the four Grand Slam tournaments where he hasn’t advanced to at least the semifinals.

Perhaps in this, his ninth appearance at the All England Club, that is about to change. Keys’ 6-4, 6-1 win over the insufferable Marta Kostyuk on Saturday moved her into the second week of play. The No.25 seed will face the winner between 22nd Anastasia Potapova and 16-year-old sensation Mirra Andreeva – a match postponed to Sunday due to rain – in a fourth-round encounter on Monday.

Wimbledon: Points|Flatten|Order of play

The 28-year-old American’s previous best finish here was a quarter-final in 2015.

The key serve is what usually pays the bills, but against Kostyuk, he returned exceptionally well, breaking him five times and winning 30 of his 58 return points.

Kostyuk was one of three Ukrainian women, along with Elina Svitolina and Lesia Tsurenko, to reach the third round – a first at Wimbledon. He was trying to match his previous best result at a Grand Slam tournament, the fourth round two years ago at Roland Garros.

Wimbledon: Day 6

Kostyuk was 1-7 against Top 20 players coming into the tournament, but then managed to defeat No. 8 Maria Sakkar after losing the first set 6-0. Keys, at No. 18, would have given her a second consecutive Top 20 win.

Keys broke Kostyuk for a 2-1 lead, but immediately gave it back when Kostyuk converted his seventh break point chance of the game. Keys naturally came back to lead 3-2 with a return game to love. It turned out to be the difference in the set. Not only did Keys break Kostyuk twice, but she also saved 10 of 11 break points against him.

Keys’ breaks in the second set came in the third, fifth and seventh games – the last one ending it.