NEW YORK—Sometimes the best way to understand what separates the world's No. 1 player from the competition is to see her go up against an opponent who can do many of the same things she does.
Madison Keys can do many of the same things that Serena Williams does. She can hit aces—Keys had eight in their fourth-round match, Serena had six. She can hit winners—Keys had 24 to Serena’s 18. And like Serena, Keys can belt the ball past her opponent from anywhere, even when she’s on the run. On at least three occasions on Sunday, all Serena could do as she watched a frozen rope whizz past her was nod her head and say, “Nice shot.”
Yet when it came to the score, Serena ended up well ahead; Keys managed to win just three games in each set. That’s because Serena did all of the other, duller things you need to do on a tennis court—keep the ball in, make your second serve, construct points, move your feet, defend—so much better. Anyone who thinks that Serena is all power, all the time should find a tape of this match. While Keys went for broke whenever she had a chance, and sometimes when she didn’t, Serena kept things in lockdown mode all afternoon. She made just six unforced errors (to Keys’ 19), committed no double faults, faced no break points, and was sparing with her screams and fist-pumps. Even Serena’s post-match twirl for the crowd was all-business.
Afterward, Serena said she knew she couldn’t afford a third straight slow start here. She remembered the early lead that Keys had built when they played in Australia in January.
“It was important,” Serena said of how she came out of the gate in this match, “because she’s such a good player, such a powerful player. She can get off to a fast start.”