Jessica Pegula brought an end to Madison Keys’ Australian Open title defence with a composed 6-3, 6-4 win to advance into the quarterfinals in Melbourne.
The sixth seed dominated key moments, breaking early in both sets and capitalising on Keys’ double faults to seal victory in just 78 minutes. Pegula improved her record to 8-2 in Grand Slam fourth-round matches and reached her fourth Australian Open quarterfinal, her first since 2023. Calm under pressure, she mixed pace and used clever drop shots to control rallies before closing out the match.
Pegula will next face Amanda Anisimova or Wang Xinyu for a place in the semifinals.