The opening exchanges offered first-strike tennis of the highest quality. Service games flew by, aces rained down and rallies were kept to a minimum as the pair aimed to dictate from the very first ball. Court One \u2013 baking under soaring temperatures \u2013 struggled to find much atmosphere as the points were over almost as quickly as they began.<\/p>\n
Keys was untouchable behind her serve for much of the opener, firing ace after ace. She had not faced a break point in the Championships before this match while Noskova calmly matched her from the opposite end with precise serving and clever placement. Neither player blinked until the pivotal 10th game.<\/p>\n
Serving to stay in the set at 5-4, Keys raced to what a 40-0 lead, but Noskova began to step inside the baseline to hammer returns back at Keys\u2019s feet. Five consecutive points disappeared from the American\u2019s grasp as forehands drifted long, \u00advolleys found the net and the Czech completed a break from nowhere to steal the opening set 6-4.<\/p>\n
The frustration lingered into the second set. Keys slapped her racket against her foot after another missed return while Noskova sensed an opportunity, immediately breaking before extending her lead to 3-0.<\/p>\n
Three double faults in a \u00adsingle service game handed Keys a route back into the contest and she gladly accepted, breaking before \u00adroaring through a dominant hold to level at 3-3. Noskova began to mix heavy \u00adserving with subtle touches, \u00adincluding cleverly disguised forehand drop shots that repeatedly dragged Keys out of her comfort zone deep behind the baseline.<\/p>\n
Noskova held to love to edge back in front before Keys responded with another nerveless service hold.<\/p>\n
The second set inevitably headed for a tie-break. Noskova took control immediately. A cleverly disguised, slower second serve caught Keys off guard to open a 2-0 lead before the American compounded her problems with a costly double fault.<\/p>\n
Noskova briefly blinked with an unforced error and another missed return, which allowed Keys to claw back to 4-2, but the American\u2019s serve deserted her again at the worst \u00adpossible moment with a \u00adsecond \u00addouble fault handing Noskova a \u00adcommanding 5-2 cushion. Serving with authority, she reeled off the final two points to complete the win.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is very special to play on this court,\u201d Noskova said. \u201cI played here last year and it was not as happy an ending as today. Madison is a tough player and I am glad I survived some of her serves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day, Marta Kostyuk became the first through to the \u00adquarter-finals with a composed 6-4, 6-4 victory over the American \u00adqualifier Ashlyn Krueger.<\/p>\n
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