By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday August 27, 2019

 

Madison Keys continued her surge with a straight-sets takedown of China's Lin Zhu on Day 3 in New York.

Photo Source: Getty

It was raining outside on Wednesday in New York City. It was raining winners on Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Madison Keys rolled to a 6-4 6-1 victory over China’s Lin Zhu to join Karolina Pliskova and Elina Svitolina in the third round on Day 3 at the US Open.

Keys struck 31 winners against 24 unforced errors and converted five of eight break points to notch her eighth consecutive win. The 24-year-old World No.9 has continued the form that saw her claim her biggest career title in Cincinnati a little less than two weeks ago, and she’ll need to stay hot to power through a very tricky section of the draw this weekend in New York.

Keys would face rising American Sofia Kenin in the third round and could see No.5-seeded Elina Svitolina in the round of 16. The Ukrainian set a marker of her own on Day 3 with a 6-4 6-4 victory over two-time champion Venus Williams.

Keys needed just 69 minutes to take care of business on Wednesday and she’ll benefit greatly from getting through—most of the bottom half of the women’s singles draw were held over due to rain and are facing the prospect of matches in consecutive days on Thursday and Friday.

Keys, meanwhile, can kick her feet up and luxuriate in her current confidence.

Keys and Zhu traded breaks in the opening set and were level at 4-4 but the American held and broke at love with Zhu serving to stay alive in the opening set.

Keys won eight of the final nine games and allowed Zhu, who was making her US Open main draw debut, only the fifth game of the second set.

Svitolina had her hands full with Venus Williams but she was able to bounce back from 3-0 down in the second set, winning six of the final seven games to lock down her 13th US Open victory.

“When I face her, it's always a challenge because she always—you don't know what to expect,” Svitolina said. “She always fights. She never gives you, you know -- you have to earn. You have to earn almost every point. You have to step up your game. If you give her short ball she always takes it on. So you have to be aware.”

Svitolina will face either Rebecca Peterson or Dayana Yastremska next.

Pliskova, who defeated Mariam Bolkvadze of Georgia 6-1, 6-4, will face either Aliaksandra Sasnovich or Ons Jabeur in round three.