Veronika Kudermetova reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time with a 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory over Madison Keys, ending the chances of four American women reaching the last eight at the French Open for the first time in two decades.
Keys, who reached the semifinals at Roland Garros in 2018 and the quarterfinals the following year, dominated the opening set but lost rhythm after Kudermetova took a bathroom break before the second set.
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She held and then broke Keys’ serve to take a 2-0 lead in the second, which she served out on her seventh set point.
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PremiumKudermetova broke in the opening game of the third set after being down 40-0 and, with the exception of a service break in the fourth game, controlled the rest of the match.
New milestone ✅
Veronika Kudermetova reaches her first career Grand Slam quarter-final with a comeback win against Keys 1-6, 6-3, 6-1#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/dVpyV5ERQA
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2022
Kudermetova hadn’t been past the third round in singles at any of her previous 12 major tournaments. Keys was a runner-up at the 2017 U.S. Open and was coming off a semifinal run at the Australian Open.
Keys and Jessica Pegula went into the fourth round hoping for wins to ensure four American women in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros for the first time since 2002. Sloane Stephens and Coco Gauff have already advanced on the other side of the draw.
Kudermetova on the comeback trail 🧭#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/9vAi97bTBH
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2022
Pegula was playing Irina-Camelia Begu later Monday.
Daria Kasatkina has matched her best performance in a major by reaching the quarterfinals at the French Open with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Camila Giorgi.
The 20th-seeded Kasatkina saved a break point as she served for the match and clinched it on back-to-back unforced errors from Giorgi.
Back in the quarter-finals for the first time since 2018 👏@DKasatkina breezes past Giorgi 6-2 6-2.#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/FgbJvL7mE3
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2022
She will next play either Madison Keys or Veronika Kudermetova.
“I’m excited about the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, most important,” said Kasatkina, who reached the quarterfinals at the French Open and Wimbledon in 2018. “It doesn’t matter who is on the other side of the net.”
