American tennis star Madison Keys made a triumphant return to Eastbourne, claiming the Rothesay International title after a masterful performance against Russian competitor Daria Kasatkina. In just one hour and forty-two minutes, Keys emerged victorious, winning 6-2 7-6 (13) in a hard-fought second set tiebreak.
The world number 25 sailed through the first set but found herself in hot water when Kasatkina, ranked 11th in the world, battled back from 4-1 down to level the set at 6-6 and even had the chance to secure a third set. But Keys’ expertise in pressure moments shined through as she held serve to secure an impressive victory.
The victory marked Keys’ second time taking home the Rothesay International title, having previously won the tournament in 2014.
Madison Keys secured her seventh WTA title at the Eastbourne International after a thrilling final against Daria Kasatkina. The match reached a nail-biting tie-break; Keys managed to take the initiative and move 3-0 ahead, then 5-2 but failed to convert three match points. With the wind increasing, Kasatkina fought back and had four set points of her own before Keys eventually closed out the match, taking four of the last five points in the longest tie-break seen on the WTA Tour this year.
On winning the tournament, Keys said: “I love coming and playing in Eastbourne. Being able to win the title here twice now makes me have very fond memories. It has been a pretty tough year for me, and being able to hold this trophy is absolutely amazing.”
Now, Keys embarks on the next tournament: Wimbledon. Taking on British wildcard Sonay Kartal on Tuesday, while Kasatkina faces American Caroline Dolehide on Monday, both players will be looking to carry that Eastbourne success into SW19. The battle starts now; who will seize victory?
After raining out the men’s draw on Friday, the action returned to court as Argentinian fourth seed Francisco Cerundolo made a comeback to take down American Mackenzie McDonald in a hard-fought 2-6 7-5 6-2 victory.
World number 17 Tommy Paul followed up with an impressive straight sets win over unseeded Gregoire Barrere, securing a 6-4 6-3 victory and claiming his spot in the semi-finals.
Paul is now set for Saturday afternoon’s final against Cerundolo, vying for his second tour-level title of the season. With tensions high and anticipation mounting, the match promises to be an exciting showdown between two of tennis’s top contenders.