Perfect ten: Defending champion Madison Keys crushes Karolina Pliskova to keep crown in sight, Pegula next
American No 9 seed Madison Keys extended her unbeaten Melbourne run to ten matches with a clinical 6-3, 6-3 victory over Karolina Pliskova to reach the Australian Open round of 16.
Madison Keys, Brisbane 2026 | © Zuma / PsNewz
In the blistering heat of Rod Laver Arena, the reigning queen of Melbourne Park proved that the weight of a title defense is only as heavy as one allows it to be. Madison Keys, the No 9 seed, secured her tenth consecutive victory at the Australian Open on Friday night, dismantling former world No 1 Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-3.
It was a performance that spoke of a champion rising to the occasion, managing the unique pressure of her first-ever Grand Slam title defense with the poise of a veteran who has finally found her home on the blue hard courts of Australia.
The 30-year-old American was assertive from the opening toss. While 33-year-old Karolina Pliskova entered the match with pedigree as a two-time major finalist, she found no rhythm against the sheer velocity of the Keys baseline game. Keys broke the Czech serve twice in the opening 15 minutes to race to a 4-0 lead. Although Pliskova attempted to stabilize her game, the first set was signed off in just 43 minutes. The second set remained closer until 3-3, when Keys found a devastating forehand return to break for 5-3, eventually serving out the match with authority.
“My serve got me out of a few tricky spots,” Keys said after the match, “I give myself a little pat on the back for that.” Reflecting on the conditions as temperatures climbed toward the 40C mark, she added, “I need to trust in my game and myself. I am feeling really good and I was excited for the heat today, and ready for it.”
Resilience and the road through Melbourne
The path to this seventh Australian Open round of 16 has not been entirely without hurdles. Keys opened her campaign with a nervy 7-6(6), 6-1 win over Ukrainian Grand Slam debutant Oleksandra Oliynykova, where she had to erase two set points in a tense opening tiebreak. She followed that with another all-American battle against Ashlyn Krueger, winning 6-1, 7-5 after trailing 2-5 in the second set.
In contrast, her performance against Pliskova was far more fluid, suggesting the defending champion is finding her peak at the exact moment the tournament enters its business end.
For Pliskova, the loss ends a resurgent run. Having missed much of the previous season following ankle surgery, the Czech had shown flashes of her old self by defeating Janice Tjen and outlasting Sloane Stephens in the earlier rounds. However, against the relentless power of the defending champion, she was often left rooted to the spot.
An all-American blockbuster in the second week
The victory sets the stage for a mouth-watering fourth-round encounter against fellow American and No 6 seed Jessica Pegula. The 31-year-old Pegula reached the last 16 on Friday with a clinical 6-3, 6-2 victory over unseeded Russian Oksana Selekhmeteva, continuing what has been a defensive masterclass this fortnight. In an era where deep runs often require physical attrition, the No 6 seed has advanced with startling efficiency, losing only 10 games across the six sets she has played in Melbourne so far.
Keys and Pegula are close friends off the court, but the stakes could not be higher as they vie for a spot in the quarterfinals. With 10 consecutive wins in Melbourne and a 3-0 start to her 2026 title defense, Keys has officially silenced any doubts about her ability to handle the spotlight.
