Madison Keys Beats Belinda Bencic for First Semifinal of 2026 in Charleston

Photograph credit score: Charleston Tennis LLC

Madison Keys stepped contained in the baseline and torched a forehand that dislodged a clump of clay when it crashed into court docket.

Keys dive-bombed drives close to the strains to land her first semifinal of the season in Charleston.

In a conflict of former Charleston champions, Keys beat Belinda Bencic 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to cost into the Credit score One Championships Charleston Open semifinals.

The 2019 Charleston champion Keys superior to her first semifinal since Queen’s Membership final June. Keys would be the favourite in Saturday’s semifinals in opposition to both 53rd-ranked American McCartney Kessler or 89th-ranked Ukrainian Yuliia Starodubtseva. Keys has completed it with out husband and coach Bjorn Fratangelo, who’s on project, within the teaching field.

“Old fashioned, by your self on court docket, no teaching, form of good,” Keys joked to Tennis Channel afterward, noting she nonetheless opinions the day by day game-plan together with her husband and coach through telephone.

At present, Keys channeled her energy with endurance, picked the proper time to detonate drives down the road and performed off the entrance foot with confidence within the remaining set. Keys cranked eight aces in opposition to two double faults and fought off 9 of 12 break factors.

“I believe the primary set I used to be form of attempting to hit via her a bit of too rapidly, she was beating me with my very own tempo,” Keys instructed Tennis Channel’s Steve Weissman. “I believe I’m at all times attempting [compete with energy] at present particularly you already know whenever you’re enjoying some like Belinda it might get away from you so rapidly.

“I saved reminding myself to maintain attempting to get myself in video games even whenever you’re down Love-40 or 15-30 you by no means know when issues can change. I used to be very pleased with my self-discipline at present and simply attempting to play the proper method.”

It was Keys’ fourth win in six conferences vs. Bencic.

The pair traded breaks within the second and third recreation then Bencic ratcheted up the stress within the tenth recreation.

Timing her returns superbly, Bencic blended drive and chipped returns to attract a few netted replies and earned double set level.

On the second set level, the Swiss once more performed a low ball to the Keys forehand. Keys slapped her 14th unforced error of the set into internet and Bencic had the one-set lead.

The previous Olympic gold-medal champion fought off three break factors, preventing again from Love-40 down in an eight-minute maintain to start out the second set.

Dialing in her backhand crosscourt and persevering with to hammer away together with her forehand, Keys charged via a powerful maintain at 15—her third straight recreation—for 3-1.

Exhibiting extra endurance in rallies, Keys was operating proper when she zipped a backhand cross down the road holding for 5-3.

Unleashing a rocket return down the road introduced Keys triple break/set level within the ninth recreation. 

On the primary set level, Bencic double-faulted off the tape as Keys snatched the second set, 6-3, to pressure a decider.

After a couple of seven-and-a-half minute Bencic lavatory break, play resumed with Keys going through fast stress down Love-30.

Keys relied on her heavy forehand and a few angled keys serves to save lots of two break factors and publish a hard-fought maintain to start out the ultimate set.

In distinction to Keys, who possesses the entire serve spins, Bencic is principally a slice server. Going through double break level, the Swiss most likely would have been clever to attempt to slice her second serve into the physique, as a substitute Bencic despatched it lengthy ceding the break and a 2-0 result in Keys.

Although Keys’ flamable energy is a the engine that drives her recreation, she confirmed positive contact at present and labored sharper angles as nicely. Keys carved a backhand drop shot that helped her break once more for 4-0.

Lashing a backhand strike down the road, Keys held at love for 5-2 yelling “come on!” in celebration.

On her first match level, Keys curled a crosscourt forehand cross to shut in two hours, 22 minutes.

Persevering with her quest for an eleventh profession title, Keys is enjoying for a 3rd profession clay-court championship.