Cincinnati (AFP) - Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina saved three match points before falling 6-2, 6-4 to Madison Keys on Friday in the ATP and WTA Cincinnait Masters quarter-finals.
The Kazakh, who lifted the All England Club trophy last month against the odds, exited the pre-US Open event in 92 minutes as she went down to the American titleholder from 2019.
The pair struggled through a 21-point, 12-minute opening game, with Keys then turning on her jets to win the second in seconds.
Keys also came from a break down in the second set to carve out victory.
Rybakina, who stands 4-3 since Wimbledon, was broken five times and managed only 11 winners.Keys struck 21 winners and 16 unforced errors.
"Elena is a remarkable player who can turn a match around at any moment," unseeded Keys said."I needed to stay out front.
"It felt like I needed 12 match points, so I'm very happy to get the win.If you back off against her, she will run you around.
"It's never good if she is in control, I had to take advantage of any ball I could."
Keys followed up on her Thursday ouster of world number one Iga Swiatek and next plays the winner between Czech Petra Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon champion, and Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic.
