Keys ready to battle game's best

ByPETER BODO
January 26, 2015, 5:49 AM

— -- Monday is Australia Day on the island continent (or, as the archetypal Aussie might say, "Straya Day"), but for exactly one hour on Margaret Court Arena it might just as well have been the U.S. equivalent, the Fourth of July.

It was the first time since 2002 that a pair of American players not named Williams managed to meet as late as the fourth round. The hex-breakers were a pair of Madisons, Keys and Brengle. The winner was Madison Keys, the score was a tidy 6-2, 6-4.

Perhaps oddly, these two had met on only one previous occasion, in a US Open qualifying match back in 2012. Neither of them looked at the other when they met at the net Monday and exclaimed, "What, you again?" In fact, Keys couldn't even remember that match when she was asked about it following her stunning upset of the No. 4 seed, Petra Kvitova. But hey, Keys is just 19 years old and teenagers aren't, like, into memories and stuff, you know? They're into Snapchat.

One reason the women, who actually are friends and occasional practice partners, haven't met more often is because Madison Brengle had had a tougher row to hoe. Keys, presently ranked No. 34, is a major talent, identified, groomed and hailed as such since an early age. By contrast, the 24-year-old Brengle had lost 24 consecutive Grand Slam qualifying events until she was awarded a wild card into the 2014 US Open.

But Brengle is a persistent, tough, all-in personality, and this year that finally began to reap dividends. With a shored-up backhand, improved serve and, according to Brengle, an attitude adjustment, she has won more WTA main-tour matches in a month (eight) than she had in her entire career up to that point. The results have brought her to a career-high ranking of No. 64. The highlight of her month was the upset of No. 13 seed Andrea Petkovic in the first round in Melbourne.

As Keys herself told reporters before the match: "Maddie is a great player. She has been around for a long time. She's always that person that can, you know, squeak out wins. She makes a million balls, and she fights."

The most compelling question hovering over this fight for a quarterfinal slot was just how Keys, whose day-to-day level of execution charts roughly like the path of the Beast roller coaster, would handle this match. For you couldn't concoct a more trippy follow-up to Keys' sensational prime-time knockout of Kvitova.

A loss to a journeywoman like Brengle would amount to buzz kill, yet this is an underdog who has suddenly found her identity. She's a nimble retriever with a nice feel for the nuances of stroke production.

All that added up to a lot of pressure on Keys. No doubt she would be obliged to hit four shots where, against someone else, three might suffice. Given that Keys is a player who often makes just three shots where, alas, four are required, she had plenty to think about.

Ultimately, Keys did a terrific job putting her imprint on the match. She embraced a basic game plan of stepping into the court and hitting a big ball, either inside-out or cross court (Keys had 38 winners to just three by Brengle, which ought to give you some idea of how defense-minded the loser is). Keys was eager to get to the net to finish points. She wasn't rattled by her occasional errors or Brengle's point-extending retrieves. And she wouldn't allow Brengle to bring her down to a level where Keys could be contained.

Keys faced one crisis, and that was in a three-game stretch starting at one game apiece in the second set -- a period when Keys lost the grip she had established on the match. At 30-all, with Brengle serving in Game 3, Keys clocked a forehand drive volley to reach break point. But she then muffed an easy service return and a setup inside-out forehand, whereupon she threw up her hands and a look of frustration smudged her face. Uninvited, Mr. Inconsistency had made his unwelcome appearance. If Brengle was going to get to Keys, this would be the time.

Long story short: The two women fought over that third game like two puppies over a chew toy. It took five break points, but Keys, while inconsistent, ultimately prevailed. But it wasn't clear sailing again just yet. Brengle broke right back and then held with ease for 3-2. Keys had run up 14 unforced errors in those first five games of the set; it seemed the tide had crested and was now flowing the other way.

But Keys kept her composure and stayed on serve. She kept the pressure on, and secured the break that mattered most in the ninth game. Then she served it out, ending the match with an unreturnable serve to Brengle's backhand.

A lot of attention is paid to Keys' atomic serve and her walloping forehand. But her most impressive feature Monday was her mobility and all-around athleticism. She's 5-foot-10, half a foot taller than the fleet Brengle, but there wasn't a moment when her size seemed a handicap. Despite her youth, she already moves more naturally than those other two lanky champs, Kvitova and Maria Sharapova.

But I wouldn't diminish the value of those big weapons, either. After all, what's the Fourth of July without fireworks?