MELBOURNE, VIC — The resurgence for Rock Island native Madison Keys continues following a straight-set win in the second round of the 2022 Australian Open.
Keys took down unseeded Jaqueline Cristian of Romania in a 6-2, 7-5 victory on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old cruised to a comfortable lead before Cristian crept closer in the second set, but Keys managed to score 10 of the last 11 points to seal the win.
"I'm feeling pretty good. I really had to fight in that second set to close it out in two," Keys said, per WTA. "I'm really just appreciating every moment on court and trying to have a lot of fun, but I also just really love competing even in those tough moments."
This marks the seventh time Keys advanced to the third round of the Australian Open. She previously reached the semifinals in 2015 before losing to Serena Williams.
Keys' hot streak comes off a 7-6 (2), 7-5 win over 11th-seeded Sofia Kenin in the first round, and an Adelaide International title on Jan. 15.
Getting back to this level of competition wasn't easy for Keys.
At one point she was ranked No. 7 in the world before dropping to 87th in the rankings after a disappointing 2021. She also missed the Australian Open last year after testing positive for COVID-19.
The former U.S. Open finalist has battled back to a dominant form and now it's something Keys says she isn't taking for granted.
"Not a lot of people in the world get to be on a stage at 5-5 to make the third round of the Australian Open, so I'm really just enjoying these moments," Keys said.
Awaiting Keys in the third round is 30-year-old Qiang Wang of China. First-serve in the matchup is scheduled for 8 p.m. (Central Time) on Jan. 20.
