Australian Open 2026 Women’s Day 9

Jessica Pegula dismantled the game of Madison Keys to knock the defending champion out in the fourth round of the Australian Open on Monday.

The 6-3, 6-4 win on the Australia Day holiday sent the sixth seed into the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park while leaving Keys wondering what happened to the game which produced a Grand Slam title a year ago.

“I’m still really proud of myself. I think coming back, being defending champion, dealing with all of the kind of extra pressure and nerves, I’m just really proud of myself for how I handled it,” Keys said.

“It was just one of those days where I feel like Jess beat me, and I can walk away with my head held high.

“I have 11 months of the year left, and there is still lots to be proud of, and I’m still going to go out and work on new things and try to implement them in the next tournament.”

Pegula maintained momentum after winning the opening set and breaking to start the second.

The daughter of a billionaire NFL club-owning New York family moved into winning position with a 5-3 lead and advanced into her fourth quarter-final here on the first of two match points when keys hit the net with a return.

“I was seeing the ball well and hitting pretty good during this tournament,” the winner said. “I just focused on doing what I needed to do.

Pegula went up a double break in the second set, but lost her own serve in the sixth game to still lead 4-2, a margin she held all the way to victory 79 minutes.

“I couldn’t see into the sun on that break, so I can’t get too upset about it,” Pegula said after defeating her partner in their regular tennis podcast.

“I’m happy with the way I was able to serve on some really big key points, execute my strategy.” Pegula said.

“I’ve been seeing, hitting, moving very well this whole tournament, and to be able to keep that up against such a great player as Maddie was going to be a lot tougher of a task today, but I think I was still able to do that really well.”

Pegula has now won 13 of her last 14 meetings against her fellow American players – only losing to Coco Gauff in the 2025 Wuhan final last autumn.

Pagula will bid for a first semi-final here when she plays American compatriot Amanda Anisimova, who defeated Wang Xinyu 7-6 (4), 6-4.

“The fact that I’ve been in the round of 16 three times, and making that step further is pretty special,” Anisimova, runner-up at the last two Grand Slams,  said. “I love playing in Australia.

“Just being here an extra day, an extra match, is exciting. I’ve been honestly enjoying every second out there. I feel I’m handling the pressure and
expectation.”

Former finalist Elena Rybakina crushed Elise Mertens 6-1, 6-3 to reach her first Slam quarter-final since Wimbledon two years ago.

The Kazakh fired 10 aces, with her 32 winners more than doubled that of her Belgian opponent.

She will be playing her seventh quarter-final at a major after winning 18 or her last 19 matches dating to last October.

Rybakina will clash in a battle of Grand Slam winners against Iga Swiatek after the winner of six major ended Aussie hopes with an efficient  6-0, 6-3 defeat of local qualifier Madison Inglis.