Keys stunned by Zarazua in US Open first-round upset

Australian Open champion Madison Keys made a disappointing exit from the US Open after falling to Mexico’s Renata Zarazua in a dramatic opening-round clash, Sport360NG reports.

The sixth seed, playing her first Grand Slam on home soil since winning in Melbourne, produced an error-filled performance and was beaten 6-7 (10-12), 7-6 (7-3), 7-5. Keys racked up a staggering 89 unforced errors over the three-hour contest, including 37 in the opening set alone.

Despite her struggles, the 30-year-old edged the first set on a tie-break after Zarazua missed five set points. Keys then appeared to be in control when she stormed into a 3-0 lead in the second set, but the Mexican, ranked 82 in the world, battled back with four straight games to shift the momentum.

The American forced another tie-break, but her 13th double fault handed Zarazua a trio of set points, and the underdog needed only one to level the match.

With coach and husband Bjorn Fratangelo urging her to stay calm, at one point telling her, “It’s just a sport, nothing’s riding on the line” Keys never found her rhythm. Zarazua broke serve late in the decider, and although Keys immediately hit back, she faltered again when serving to stay in the match. The contest ended with the home favourite firing into the net, sealing Zarazua’s first-ever victory over a top-10 opponent.

The result sparked jubilant celebrations from the 26-year-old’s camp, capping off a gritty display that lasted three hours and 10 minutes. Keys, meanwhile, was left ruing a missed opportunity to build on her breakthrough major success earlier this year.

Mboko halted, Rybakina cruises

Elsewhere, Canada’s Victoria Mboko saw her remarkable rise checked by Barbora Krejcikova, who claimed a 6-3, 6-2 win. The 18-year-old, who stunned four Grand Slam winners to capture the Canadian Open earlier this month, could not replicate that form in New York, undone by 10 double faults and struggles on her second serve.

Krejcikova, the 2024 Wimbledon champion, looked sharp again after slipping to 62nd in the rankings during an injury-hit season.

Meanwhile, ninth seed Elena Rybakina powered past 16-year-old debutant Julieta Pareja 6-3, 6-0 in just over an hour. Pareja, the reigning world junior number one, showed promise early on but was ultimately outclassed by the 2022 Wimbledon winner.

The American teenager, who earned her US Open wildcard after a breakthrough run in Bogota and reaching both finals at this year’s Wimbledon juniors, will take encouragement from her first taste of senior Grand Slam competition.