Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula are set to do battle at the Australian Open on Monday.
The two American stars, seeded sixth and ninth at the event, will play each other for only the fourth time on the WTA Tour.
Keys, the defending champion in Melbourne, has defeated Oleksandra Olijnykowa, Ashlyn Krueger and Karolina Pliskova on her way to the fourth round.
Meanwhile, Pegula – who is yet to win a Grand Slam singles title – has beaten Anastasia Zakharova, McCartney Kessler and Oxana Olegovna Selechmetyeva.
Lindsay Davenport, the 1999 Wimbledon champion, has weighed in on the crucial factor heading into Keys and Pegula’s Australian Open clash.
Who has impressed you most so far at the Australian Open?
Lindsay Davenport says the Madison Keys’ ‘first strike tennis’ is crucial in her match against Jessica Pegula
Martina Navratilova, an 18-time Grand Slam singles champion, began the discussion, noting Keys’ superior shotmaking.
“I think it’s a matter of whether Pegula is as aggressive as she was in these first few matches,” Navratilova said on the Tennis Channel.
“If she can take time away from Maddy, she’s got a shot at it, obviously with the bigger weapons. We’ll see how they do in the day but still, the match is still on Maddy’s racket because she’s the one that can hit you.”
Lindsay Davenport continued the discussion, expressing her excitement at the prospect of watching two ‘good friends’ contest a high stakes contest.
“It’s so fun to watch these kind of matchups because these two: very good friends, practise together all the time, played so many times.
“It’s like, they each know what the other one’s going to do, so who’s going to do it first? What are they looking to do, who can do it better?”
The American star expanded on her point, arguing that Keys’ weapons – as noted by Navratilova – will be a crucial factor in deciding the contest.
“So much will depend on Madison’s first strike tennis,” Davenport continued.
“The big serve and the forehand, and can she use that enough. I mean, Pegula [is] one of the best returners, she loves to take returns early.
“As you mentioned, that takes Madison’s time away. But if you serve big, then you can hit off your front foot on that first shot. So that will determine a lot of success for Madison.
Who has impressed you the most?
“First serve percentage for Jess. Needs to make a lot of first serves. Needs to be able to push Madison back early in rallies. So it’ll be a fascinating chess match out there.”
Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula’s head-to-head
Madison Keys holds a 2-1 record against Jessica Pegula on the WTA Tour.
Pegula won their first contest at the 2022 San Diego Open, defeating Keys 6-4, 7-5.
A year later, Keys beat her compatriot 6-1, 6-3 in the US Open round of 16. Keys went on to reach the semi-finals, before losing to Aryna Sabalenka in a close three-set match.
Keys won their last contest at the 2025 Adelaide Open, defeating her ‘good friend’ in the final, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1.
The contest should be an exciting one for the fans in Australia, especially with a potential forfeit on the line.
