CHARLESTON, S.C. — American Madison Keys overpowered normally steady Caroline Wozniacki with a 7-6 (5), 6-3 victory in the Volvo Car Open on Sunday.
Keys, seeded eighth and ranked 18th in the world, continually hit big serves — she reached 121 mph — and overwhelming forehands to wear down the fifth-seeded Wozniacki of Denmark and win her fourth career WTA event.
Keys trailed 6-5 in the opening set before forcing a tiebreaker by winning four straight points. She fell behind 2-0 before winning six of the next seven points and took a 6-3 lead in the tiebreaker when Wozniacki let a lob she seemed in position to handle drop inside the baseline. Keys closed out the set three points later.
Wozniacki, a former world No. 1, could not keep up in the second set as Keys took a 5-2 lead.
Keys smiled and bent her knees in celebration after putting away Wozniacki’s return at the net on match point in the season’s first clay-court event.