By Chris Oddo | Friday, April 10, 2015

 

Madison Keys dropped a big hurt on feisty American Lauren Davis, 6-2, 6-2, to set up a semifinal with Lucie Hradecka.

Photo Source: AP

20-year-old Madison Keys is once again demonstrating the form that saw her reach the Australian Open semifinals this year. The rising American crash-bam-whammed her way through her compatriot and friend Lauren Davis on Friday, saving the only break point she faced to win in straight sets for the third consecutive match.

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Keys, who has only lost nine games en route to her sixth career semifinal, and first since the Australian Open, will face Lucie Hradecka in Saturday’s semifinals.

She says that while not loving playing on clay, she’s getting more comfortable on the surface each year.

“It's not the easiest game for me, being on clay,” she said, “but so far it's been pretty good transition, and just working on it more and more every year. So you know, just feeling more comfortable on it.”

Keys broke open a close match in the first few games with Davis in their third tour-level meeting. After dropping their first meeting in Miami in 2013, Keys has drubbed Davis twice consecutively.

“I think I was rushing a little bit at the beginning,” she said. “Then after that, you know, I really kind of calmed down and started playing the right balls, and just being a little bit smarter.”

Hradecka, a qualifier in Charleston, pulled the upset on fourth-seeded Sara Errani, 6-2, 6-4.

In the lower half of the draw, second-seeded and defending champion Andrea Petkovic kept rolling, though she was pushed by a hard-hitting youngster from Montenegro by the name of Danka Kovinic. The 20-year-old qualifier took the first set before Petkovic channeled her emotions and rallied for the 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory.

Petkovic will face fifth-seeded Angelique Kerber, who moved into her second semifinal of 2015 with a 7-6(3), 7-6(4) victory over Irina-Camelia Begu.