Melbourne, Jan 24 (IANS) American stars Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula set up an all-USA Round of 16 clash at the Australian Open after cruising through their third-round matches in straight sets on Saturday.

Keys’ run toward successfully defending her title continued with an emphatic straight-sets victory—6-3, 6-3 against former World No. 1 Karolína Pliskova—extending her winning streak to ten matches at Melbourne Park (with each match played in under three hours).

The American served unrelenting power from the baseline, and although the temperature outside was over 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit) prior to noon, she experienced no problems, calling the heat “great” because she is “a Floridian.”

Keys isn’t the only American to achieve success in Melbourne this week. No. 6 seed Jessica Pegula was through to the Round of 32 after her impressive 6-3, 6-2 win against Russian qualifier Oksana Selekhmeteva, using her outstanding play, aggressive movement and consistent shot-making to dominate her opponent throughout their match. Pegula closed the match out quickly and decisively.

“I was excited about the heat, being Floridian,” Keys said on court, brushing aside concerns over the challenging conditions.

The last time Keys and Pegula met in competition was on January 19, 2022, at the Adelaide International where Keys edged Pegula 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 in the final of the Adelaide International.

Thus, their meetings will continue into the next round of the tournament, where Keys holds a two-to-one series lead over Pegula. While the pair share a strong bond off court, that friendship will be put on hold when they face each other for a place in the quarterfinals.

Keys and Pegula are regular collaborators away from competition, producing a tennis podcast alongside fellow Americans Jennifer Brady and Desirae Krawczyk.

Keys revealed that the group were even scheduled to record an episode before their upcoming clash, highlighting the unique dynamic between the two players.

Despite the heat and the stakes, both Americans appeared relaxed and focused, underlining their comfort in Melbourne conditions.

With Keys’ powerful shot-making and Pegula’s relentless consistency set to collide, the all-American showdown promises to be one of the highlights of the Round of 16 at this year’s Australian Open.

–IANS

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