First down, then up, Kudermetova beats Keys to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal

WATCH: Veronika Kudermetova defeats Madison Keys in the 2022 Roland Garros fourth round

As Monday’s round of 16 match between 29th-seeded Veronika Kudermetova and 22nd-seeded Madison Keys got underway at Roland Garros, experience appeared the telling factor.

While Kudermetova had reached this stage of a major for the first time, Keys had previously played 16 fourth-round matches. So it was Keys that began thoroughly in control, taking a brisk 28 minutes to capture the first set, 6-1.

But Keys’ momentum hardly mattered. As Kudermetova’s early jitters vanished, she rapidly asserted herself. By the time it was over, the 25-year-old Russian had won 1-6, 6-3, 6-1—a highly rare score line that suggests minimal competitive tension.

Better yet, call it a two-part mini-series, each with its own star. “I tried to trust myself, to believe,” said Kudermetova.

Keys has always dazzled with power, most notably with her forehand and serve. But in the first set, what impressed even more was Keys’ movement. Patrolling the court superbly, she repeatedly overwhelmed Kudermetova. There also came flashes of raw firepower. With Kudermetova serving at 1-4, 30-30, the American hit two straight untouchable down-the-line returns—one forehand, one backhand. In the next game, on her first set point, Keys feathered a drop shot. Keys’ thorough command of the court was reminiscent of her January run to the Australian Open semis. This was big-time tennis, Keys one set away from reaching the quarterfinals at Roland Garros for the third time.

The second set went in the opposite direction. This time, Kudermetova was the one who sprinted, taking a 3-0 lead, serving for the set at 5-3, 40-love. But Keys dug in. Not until set point number seven was Kudermetova able to close out the set. Amid such tenacity from Keys, the thinking was that this might bode well for a dramatic third set.

It was not to be. In the first game of the decider, Keys took a 40-love lead. A double-fault on the next point hardly seemed to matter—until it eventually did, Keys dropping that game.

Once again, as she had in the second set, Kudermetova grabbed the reins, winning nine of eleven points to go up 2-0—an effort aided by Keys lining two returns into the net. In the next game, Keys held a game point, only to hit a forehand long and be broken by a Kudermetova backhand return winner.

“Sometimes I tried to play harder, sometimes with the spin, a little smarter,” said Kudermetova.

Kudermetova had adjusted wisely to Keys’ serve, frequently altering her return position to handle Keys’ kick in the ad court. It was a remarkable sight to see Keys broken four times in the third set. Down 1-5, 30-30, Keys hit a backhand long, then a forehand long.

Clay appears to suit Kudermetova. Her lone WTA singles title came on the surface, last year in Charleston. And a month ago, she reached the finals at a clay court tournament in Istanbul.

Next up she’ll play her fellow Russian, the stylistically eclectic Daria Kasatkina. Their only previous match came last year in St. Petersburg, with Kasatkina winning by a score similar to the way Kudermetova won today, 1-6, 6-1, 6-2.