By ADAM ZAGORIA
NEW YORK — One year after reaching the US Open final, Madison Keys is back for another run.
The No. 14 seeded Keys had little trouble with No. 29 Dominika Cibulkova, overpowering her, 6-1, 6-3, in 76 minutes in their fourth-round match on a steamy day in Arthur Ashe Stadium. The on-court temperature was estimated at 130 degrees.
Keys, last year’s runner-up to fellow American Sloane Stephens, will face the winner between No. 22 Maria Sharapova and No. 30 Carla Suarez-Navarro, who were set to meet Monday night in Ashe. That quarterfinal will be on Wednesday.
With Stephens, Sharapova and Serena Williams all still alive in the draw, Keys is happy not to be the top story at this US Open.
“It’s kind of nice to be under the radar,” she said. “There [are] a bunch of big stories, obviously. Serena is back. Sloane is playing really well. There is just a lot going on this year.”
The winners are flying off @Madison_Keys‘ racquet this afternoon!
She leads Cibulkova 4-1 in the opening set…#USOpen pic.twitter.com/HSlumqCFfB
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 3, 2018
After dropping three straight games in the second set, Keys earned two match points. On her second match point Keys drilled a forehand winner into the corner that Cibulkova returned wide. The two soon shook hands at the net as the crowd cheered for Keys.
Keys, 23, dropped just four points on her first serve in the match.
Cibulkova was coming off a tough three-set win over 2016 US Open champ and No. 4 seed Angelique Kerber and seemed fatigued against Keys.
“For me, it’s like I feel I’m being overpowered,” Cibulkova said. “She wasn’t killing me from the serve. So this was a bit different today.”
But I was just not there the first two, three points to do what I want. I was still on the back foot.
Keys is one of three American women remaining in the draw, along with Stephens and Serena, both of whom won their fourth-round matches Sunday and are on the opposite side of the draw from Keys.
On Tuesday, No. 3 Stephens will face No. 19 Anastasija Sevastova while No. 17 Williams, the six-time US Open champ and 23-time Grand Slam winner, meets No. 8 Karolina Pliskova, who beat Serena in the 2016 semifinals.
“It’s always nice to see a bunch of Americans doing well at the home slam,” Keys said. “I’m just really happy to be a part of it. And to have back to back years is really special.”
Asked if she planned to watch the Sharapova-Suarez Navarro match, Keys smiled and said, “I’m actually going out to dinner and let my coaches take care of that one.”
Tuesday’s US Open schedule for Ashe:
Day
Stephens-Sevastova
Del Potro- IsnerNight
Serena-Pliskova
Nadal-Thiem pic.twitter.com/LJZDJFlIAn— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) September 3, 2018
Photo: US Open
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