Image Source : TWITTER/MADISON KEYS Madison Keys
In her first match since September, former U.S. Open finalist Madison Keys beat Belinda Bencic 6-4, 6-1 on the Qatar Open on Tuesday.
Keys hit 24 winners towards 13 for the sixth-seeded Bencic, who was coming off a loss to Iga Swiatek within the last of the Adelaide International on Saturday.
Keys was enjoying for the primary time since her first-round exit on the French Open. She missed the Australian Open after testing constructive for the coronavirus shortly earlier than she was resulting from fly to Melbourne on a constitution flight.
“It’s amazing to be back. I’m smiling under my mask,” Keys mentioned. “Disappointed that I couldn’t go to Australia, but very happy to have the first match of my season like this.”
The 2017 U.S. Open finalist mentioned that when she contracted the virus she “simply had tremendous, tremendous delicate signs, so I used to be actually fortunate.”
Keys’ second-round opponent is Maria Sakkari, who received their solely earlier match final 12 months. Aryna Sabalenka and Garbine Muguruza are potential quarterfinal opponents.
Australian Open quarterfinalist Jessica Pegula received towards Wang Qiang 6-3, 6-1 of their first-round match. Pegula got here by way of three rounds of qualifying.
The 56th-ranked Laura Siegemund overcame a 33-place rankings hole to Elena Rybakina as she received 7-6 (7), 7-6 (5). Siegemund meets Victoria Azarenka within the second spherical. Also, Ons Jabeur beat Anna Blinkova 6-2, 6-2.
