Reigning Australian Open titleholder Keys defeated by Pegula
MELBOURNE, Australia — Reigning champion Madison Keys has been eliminated from the Australian Open by fellow American and podcast collaborator, Jessica Pegula.
Pegula, seeded sixth, triumphed over the ninth-seeded Keys with a score of 6-3, 6-4 on Monday at Rod Laver Arena, advancing to the quarterfinals. Pegula, who has yet to secure a Grand Slam title, took the first set in just 32 minutes.
Pegula quickly established a 4-1 advantage in the opening set, and she broke Keys’ serve to start the second set, again moving ahead to a 4-1 lead as Keys faced difficulties with her serve. The match concluded when Keys sent a forehand into the net.
Pegula demonstrated impressive serve accuracy and maintained the rally with minimal unforced errors.
Previously, Pegula and Keys had faced each other three times, with Keys winning the last two encounters.
Pegula reached the U.S. Open final in 2024 but was defeated by Aryna Sabalenka. This marks her fourth quarterfinal appearance in Australia.
Pegula and Keys share a close friendship and have been co-hosting a podcast together. Keys had remarked earlier that this would be the “first match in Grand Slam history between two podcast co-hosts.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: espn.com
