WHAT HAPPENED: No. 7 seed Madison Keys played a nearly flawless first-round match, using her powerful all-court game to dismiss Timea Babos of Hungary, 6-1, 6-1.
Keys came out of the gate with her foot on the accelerator and never let up, winning the first set 6-1 in 25 minutes. The 25-year-old American won 29 of her 35 service points and claimed twice as many total points in the set as Babos, who is ranked No. 101 in the world.
In the second set, it was more of the same. Keys broke the 27-year-old Babos in the third game at 1-1 and sprinted toward the finish line, wrapping up the match in 55 minutes.
Commenting on the absence of fans onsite at her home Slam, Keys said in her on-court interview after the match, "At the end of the day, bringing my own energy is what’s going to help me here.”
She certainly brought the energy with her to Louis Armstrong Stadium on Day 2 of the 2020 US Open.
WHAT IT MEANS: If Keys continues on course, she won’t face a seeded player until at least the Round of 16, where she could enter into a blockbuster battle with Garbiñe Muguruza.
MATCH POINT: Runner-up at the 2017 US Open, Keys is the only woman to get to the Round of 16 in each of the past five US Opens. She clearly has the game to go all the way, as she showed in Tuesday's match.
