Madison Keys has now climbed to third on an impressive list following a win at the Madrid Open.

The Australian Open champion played her first match on the European clay after appearing at the Charleston Open earlier this month.

Madison Keys took on Lucia Bronzetti, who overcame Naomi Osaka in the previous round to set up the encounter.

But the World number five proved too strong for the Italian, as Keys sealed victory within one hour and 20 minutes in the Spanish capital.

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Keys began her first Madrid Open match by losing her first service game and going down 0-2.

But the 30-year-old soon shrugged off the cobwebs, erased the deficit and eased to a 6-4, 6-3 victory to start her latest campaign on the European clay.

This victory means Keys now has 99 WTA 1000 wins to her name. She has overtaken Sloane Stephens on the list of the most wins at this level by American women.

Keys now trails Venus Williams, who is second with 112 wins, while her sister and 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams leads the way with 148 victories at WTA 1000 level.

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Keys’ latest win means she has booked her spot in the third round of the Madrid Open.

Her opponent will be the tricky Anna Kalinskaya, who defeated Diane Parry to reach this stage of the competition.

Their head-to-head rivalry stands at one win apiece, and their last encounter took place just three weeks ago at the Charleston Open.

This was Kalinskaya’s first win against Keys, while the American defeated the Russian at the 2022 French Open.

Keys will be determined to avenge her loss in Charleston, but Kalinskaya will aim to match what she produced in the States in what promises to be an exciting contest.

Madison KeysMadrid OpenSerena WilliamsVenus WilliamsWTA