No one can stop Madison Keys at the moment. Two points away from losing against Donna Vekic in the fourth round in Tennis Paradise, Keys produced the sort of lights out tennis that saw her win the Australian Open in January. As a result, the 30-year-old extended her winning streak to a hefty 15 matches. Her 4-6, 7-6 (7), 6-3 victory indeed won’t soon be forgotten by those who saw it at Stadium 1 or elsewhere.

Keys talked about still being motivated to get wins after her heroics in Melbourne — and that was plain to see. She overturned a 5-3 deficit in the second set tiebreak, hitting a spectacular angled forehand winner on the full stretch in the process. Keys sealed the set with a fine serve on a fourth set point. Vekic couldn’t keep her return in play and (gently) flung her racquet in disdain, knowing her chance might have passed.

“Donna was playing so well and I felt like there were a few things that I needed to do a little bit better just to get ahead in the point a little bit quicker,” Keys, who also advanced in three sets in the third round, said post match. “And at some point, I just kind of felt like it was do or die, 5-5 in the second set tiebreaker. I kind of just started deciding I was going to go for a little bit more. Really happy to be able to get that match and get that win and play another match here.”

The gritty Croatian — last year’s Olympic silver medalist and Wimbledon semifinalist — didn’t do much wrong. The 28-year-old might, however, rue not landing many first serves in the tiebreak.

Even before the tiebreak, there was ample drama.

Keys earned her first set point at 5-4 thanks to a net cord. An ace on the next point, though, allowed Vekic to escape.

In the second set, Keys authored 23 winners to just 13 unforced errors. Anyone who saw Keys at the Australian Open knew that, while power remained the bedrock of her game, she countered and showed good touch, too. That didn’t change Wednesday. Her forehand drop shot winner on the dead run in the third set caught the eye, as did a backhand drop shot straight off a Vekic return.

If Vekic began the third set deflated, it was understandable given how close she was to winning in two. Vekic got one break back to pull to 3-5 in the third set but Keys immediately responded.

Keys next meets wild card Belinda Bencic, who also won in three sets over 2023 US Open champ Coco Gauff.

The player Keys topped in the Australian Open final, Aryna Sabalenka, ended the stint of British lucky loser Sonay Kartal. The World No. 1 improved to 19-1 in her last 20 matches
gainst players outside the Top 50 thanks to the 6-1, 6-2 win.