CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Madison Keys grabbed an early lead and breezed into the second round of the Charleston Open with a 6-4, 6-3 victory Tuesday over wild-card entry Emma Navarro, the 2021 NCAA singles champion whose father owns the green-clay tournament.
With the temperature around 80 degrees, 2017 U.S. Open runner-up Keys went up 4-0.
"Starting off on a good foot is really important normally," said Keys, who won the Charleston title in 2019 and is seeded No. 9 this year, "but especially so when you're playing someone young and someone in front of a home crowd."
She finished the match with a 7-0 edge in aces, while converting 4 of 5 break points she generated — and saving 4 of 5 she faced.
"She came out playing really aggressively. I was knocked back a little bit at the beginning," said the 21-year-old Navarro, who is ranked a career-best 118th this week and was playing in just the 16th tour-level contest of her career. "I think that, combined with some nerves, kind of set me back a little bit."