Keys flirts with defeat before glorious comeback

Madison Keys came back from the brink on Friday night to reach the fourth round of the US Open in New York. The American rallied from 1-5 down in the final set to defeat Naomi Osaka 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3). 

Madison Keys won five consecutive games to lead 6-5 in the final set against Naomi Osaka. Robert Deutsch/USA Today

"This is the greatest comeback of my career, hands down," said 21-year-old Keys who hailed the Arthur Ashe stadium crowd for giving her the energy to believe she could recover.

Osaka, 18, was so traumatised by her failure to convert her dominance into victory that she broke down in tears as she twice tried and failed to serve for the victory.

"Leading 5-1, I was just very nervous," she said. "I kind of wanted to close it out. I felt like I could rely on my serve at that point. But it really started freaking me out when she was, like, going 5-2, 5-3, 5-4.

Osaka, who was making only her third appearance in the main draw of a Grand Slam, did at least regain her composure after losing five straight games to force a third set tie-break at 6-6.

"I actually feel this is a good match for me," she added. "Because I haven't really been playing that well for this whole hard court season. Just to be able to get to the third round here is positive."

Keys - one of the bright hopes of American women's tennis - will face the two-time finalist Caroline Wozniacki for a quarter-final spot.

Kerber thrashes Bellis

While Keys laboured, the second seed Angelique Kerber was expeditive. The German whipped the American 17-year-old CiCi Bellis 6-1, 6-1 in just 53 minutes.

Kerber, who notched up her 50th win of the season, may be delayed on court longer in her last 16 match. She will take on the two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova. The rangy left-hander has the power and guile to unsettle the second seed who often revels in the role of retriever queen.

Last year's beaten finalist Roberta Vinci continued her good form in New York. The 33-year-old seventh seed had too much experience for the 21-year-old German Carina Witthoeft

The Italian will fancy her chances on Sunday against Lesia Tsurenko. The world 99, made the last 16 at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time by beating 12th seed Dominika Cibulkova 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

The Ukrainian 27-year-old committed 44 unforced errors. Fortunately for her, newly married Cibulkova hit 54.