By Chris Oddo | Saturday June 18, 2016
Madison Keys booked a final date with Barbora Strycova--and a spot in the Top 10--on Saturday in Birmingham.
Photo Source: Steve Bardens/LTA
Madison Keys did not want to think about the implications of her semifinal at the Aegon Classic with Carla Suarez Navarro. But when she finally had clinched her 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) victory over the Spaniard, her smile indicated that she was well aware of what she had achieved.
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Keys became the first American woman to make her Top 10 debut since 1999, and also advanced to her second final of the year.
"I Saw it but I was pretending that I didn't see it,” Keys said of her milestone. “I was really ignoring it the whole time."
It was a gritty effort from the 21-year-old American. Both players did a fine job of protecting their serve, and a single break made the difference in each of the first two sets. With very little wiggle room, Keys had to rally from a set down and also had to deal with the disappointment of squandering a break in the decider.
Suarez Navarro battled back from 2-4 down in set three to take a 5-4 lead, forcing Keys to serve to stay in the match.
After a hold by Keys, Suarez Navarro put the pressure right back on the American, but Keys once again held firm to force the third-set breaker.
But Keys was the better, more physical presence in the tiebreaker, and she raised her level to win five of the final six points.
Keys improves to 21-6 lifetime on the grass and will face Barbora Strycova for a shot at her second career title on Sunday. She improves to 2-0 over Suarez Navarro, who was also bidding to return to the Top 10 with a win today.
Strycova, the 2014 runner-up at Birmingham, defeated CoCo Vandeweghe, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, to reach her seventh career final.
Keys holds the lifetime 2-1 edge over Strycova, which includes two victories against the Czech on clay this year.