Keys cruises into Aussie quarters

MELBOURNE, Australia — Madison Keys has continued her strong run through the Australian Open draw, returning to the quarterfinals here for the first time in three years with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Caroline Garcia on Monday.

The U.S. Open finalist is yet to drop a set at Melbourne Park and is averaging a brisk 62.5 minutes on court through her first four rounds.

Coming into the match against Garcia, she had only dropped 14 games — the second fewest among the women through three rounds, just behind Angelique Kerber’s 13 games.

Keys will meet Kerber in the quarterfinals. The 21st-seeded German beat Hsieh Su-wei, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.

Keys is seeded just 17th after undergoing wrist surgery and missing several months on tour last year, but she is playing pain-free again and looking increasingly confident as the tournament goes on.

Keys, the only American woman to reach the fourth round, said she feels like she’s playing without pressure since returning from her wrist injury.

“I definitely realize how much l love it and how much pressure I put on myself ” in the past, she said. “Just being really happy to be back out here and not at home in a cast.”

She’s reached her fourth Grand Slam quarterfinal and her first at the Australian Open since her breakout run to the semifinals in 2015 as a 19 year old.

Keys lost her serve in the opening game of the match against the eighthseeded Garcia, but broke the Frenchwoman five times as she raced through the next two sets. She had 32 winners to just nine for Garcia.

Elise Mertens also advanced to the quarterfinals with a, 7-6 (5), 7-5 win over Petra Martic. She will face No. 4 seed Elina Svitolina, who cruised past Denisa Allertova, 6-3, 6-0.

One side of the men’s quarterfinals is set after No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov topped Nick Kyrgios, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (4), late Sunday. Dimotrov will play Kyle Edmund in the quarterfinals. Edmund defeating Andreas Seppi, 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-2, 6-3, in their fourth-round match.

Rafael Nadal is also into the round of eight, beating Diego Schwartzman, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3. He will face Marin Cilic.