US Open: Keys survives after trailing 5-1 in third against Japanese teenager

ByToby Keel

Updated 02/09/2016 at 19:57 GMT

Eighth seed Madison Keys survived an epic scare against Japan's Naomi Osaka, twice breaking when her opponent was serving for the match as she escaped with a 7-4 4-6 7-6(3) victory.

Keys won the opening set, and appeared to be on course for a win which would have delighted the American crowd.

But Osaka sprang a surprise by battling back into the match, claiming the second set.

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Then, in the third set, it was largely one-way traffic at first, Keys making a catalogue of errors as she lost her serve twice to almost hand the match on a plate to her opponent.

Osaka faltered as she served for the match at 5-2 in the third, Keys pumping her fists and sending the crowd wild as she sparked hopes of a recovery.

Naomi Osaka of Japan - US Open 2016

Image credit: Reuters

And Japan's world number 81 – who is just 18 years old – then lost her serve once more as she had a second chance to serve for it while leading 5-4, openly crying and shrugging as if she couldn't understand what was happening.

The deciding set set proceeded to a tie-break which Keys dominated, the American 21-year-old finishing the match off at her first match point.

Osaka was clearly distraught, having once again come up short in the third round of a Grand Slam as she did at both Melbourne and Roland Garros this year.

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