CHARLESTON, SC — It’s final four in Charleston for Madison Keys! In a battle of former Lowcountry champions, Keys rallied to defeat 2022 champion Belinda Bencic 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 on a cool, sunny day at the Sports Court.
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Keys entered her first WTA Powered by Mercedes-Benz semi-final of the season, and improved to 4-2 against the Swiss. She returns to the semifinals in the Lowcountry for the first time since her title run in 2019, and will face McCartney Kessler or Yuliia Starodubtseva. Bencic’s win is his first 20th win of 2026.
“I feel like I had some chances in the first set, but I’m really happy that I didn’t isolate myself and I was able to recover quickly, and overall I think I played a solid second and third set,” Keys said to press.
The shooting was not normal on Friday as both players tried to beat each other. Thursday, Bencic had said that he would rather play Keys on the clay court because the power of America, which indeed showed Friday afternoon, but it would be the return of Keys in the last two groups that got success. In particular, Keys had 41 winners to Bencic’s 18.
How the game played:
Group 1: Bencic opened the match quickly, and in Keys’ first service game, the Swiss got the first break. Keys attempted a shot to the right side, but seemed to misjudge Bencic’s distance from where the ball would land, causing him to hit the ball on purpose.
Keys, using her famous forehand power that Bencic couldn’t reach, got a break at love. He then hit a backhander into the back of the net in the first game to level the score at 2-2.
The business holds for the next five games, Bencic hit Keys’ return hard for the second time, and Keys was able to give an opportunity to enter the net when the first team went to the Swiss, who had only five winners, but only committed six unforced errors in Keys’ 14 stage.
Group 2: The American had a great chance to have a break point on three occasions, but three unforced errors spoiled that and Bencic held it. But Keys rallied, winning 12 of the next 14 points to take a 3-1 lead as the team began a flustered Bencic. Although he was holding 3-2, Bencic trailed 30-40, and his frustration was enough when he hit his racquet on the green clay.
Keys was hoping for 14 winners in the second set, limiting herself to just eight unforced errors, as the American forced the decider.
“I think, even with the score line the way it was, I had a couple of break opportunities that I set for myself,” Keys said. “I think that even though you don’t change those points all the time, I think it adds more pressure. I think it also gives you a little confidence to go into your service just knowing that you are always in his service games.
Group 3: It seemed inevitable that Bencic would take a bathroom break in the transition between teams to regroup as this time, it was a new game at the same time.
But it would be Keys who would come through in the clutch to start the third set. The Swiss had two break chances in the first game with Keys frustrated after missing an easy shot into the net. However, the American held the ice, and after her break, Keys had to save two more break points, winning her match point to take a 3-0 lead.
Keys has had occasional success coming online. It wasn’t often, but when he did, sometimes it worked. Leading in the 40th ad, Keys came to the net, and read Bencic’s backhand attempt perfectly, and took advantage of the open space. Keys’ lead grew to 4-0, and although Bencic returned one of the breaks, a first-court winner by Keys on match point sealed the deal.
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