Keys to face Osaka in U.S. Open semis

Associated Press

NEW YORK

Madison Keys is into her third semifinal in the past five Grand Slam tournaments, including two in a row at the U.S. Open.

She’s still in search of major title No. 1.

The 14th-seeded American used her big-strike game built on serves and forehands to overpower No. 30 Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain 6-4, 6-3 in the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows on Wednesday night.

Keys won all 10 of her service games, saving the only two break points she faced. One came in the last game as she served for the victory, but she erased it with a forehand winner, part of a 22-10 edge in that category.

It all took less than 1 1/2 hours against Suarez Navarro, who eliminated five-time major champion Maria Sharapova in straight sets in her previous match but has never made it to the semifinals at a major.

Keys was the runner-up in New York a year ago, beaten by Sloane Stephens in an all-American final. Keys also lost to Stephens in the French Open semifinals this June.

This time, Keys will play No. 20 Naomi Osaka on Thursday night for a chance to reach the final again. The other women’s semifinal is 23-time major champion Serena Williams against No. 19 Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia.

Osaka was an easy winner in her quarterfinal, eliminating unseeded Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine 6-1, 6-1 in all of 57 minutes.