Madison Keys, the titleholder from the Australian Open, experienced an unexpected setback against Renata Zarazua of Mexico in the initial phase of the US Open, a consequence of a performance riddled with errors.
Her inaugural major tournament on home soil as a Grand Slam victor took an unforeseen turn, marked by an accumulation of 89 unforced errors, culminating in a 6-7 (10-12) 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 defeat.
Keys committed 37 unforced errors solely within the first set, yet managed to secure it in a tie-break following world number 82 Zarazua’s squandering of five set-point opportunities.
The match seemed poised for Keys’ triumph as she swiftly established a 3-0 advantage in the subsequent set. However, the 2017 finalist in New York then conceded four games consecutively.
She succeeded in extending the set to a tie-break, but Keys’ 13th double fault of the day presented Zarazua with three set points, with the underdog needing only a single opportunity to capitalize.
Throughout the encounter, Keys’ coach and husband, Bjorn Fratangelo, offered counsel and encouragement, remarking at one juncture, “It’s just a sport, nothing’s riding on the line.” Nevertheless, the American’s gameplay remained inconsistent.
The deciding set proceeded with serve until Zarazua achieved a break in the eighth game, only for Keys to respond with an immediate break of her own.
Ultimately, fortune favored Zarazua rather than the 30-year-old Keys, who had harbored aspirations for a deep tournament run after her groundbreaking major victory in Melbourne earlier in the year.
Zarazua clinched her inaugural triumph against a top-10 player when Keys’ shot landed in the net on match point, igniting fervent celebrations among the Mexican’s supporters after a contest spanning three hours and 10 minutes.
