Keys avenges Mboko in marathon three-setter at Roland Garros third round
PARIS -- For the sixth time, Madison Keys advances to the last 16 at Roland Garros.
Roland Garros: Scores | Order of play | Draws
After a 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 defeat of World No. 9 Victoria Mboko in a 2 hour and 8 minute three-set marathon, No. 19 Keys secures her spot in the fourth round and will next face Diana Shnaider. Following defending champion Coco Gauff's defeat to Anastasia Potapova, Keys is the last American standing in women's singles.
The 2018 French Open semifinalist could reach her fourth quarterfinal at the event against Shnaider, who by contrast, is in her first fourth round in Paris -- and second at any Grand Slam -- after defeating Oleksandra Oliynykova Saturday. Keys holds a perfect 3-0 record against the lefty, but Monday's matchup will be their first on clay.
Mboko won the only previous encounter with Keys, a three-set 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 victory in the quarterfinals at the 2026 Adelaide International, where Keys was the defending champion, so in some ways, Saturday was a bit of a revenge tour. The Canadian ultimately progressed to that final -- her first of three so far this season -- but now departs Roland Garros in the third round for the second straight year.
It was a convincing start for Keys on Court Simonne-Mathieu, where the two opened the first three games with three breaks -- Keys lead 2-1 -- and the American held strong on serve, landing 63% of her first serves throughout the match. A third break of Mboko's serve (Keys finished with six) in the ninth game of the set secured the first set for the one-time Grand Slam champion.
Keys seemed well on her way to win in straight sets, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the second as Mboko couldn't find a solution, accruing several of her 43 unforced errors. Though in hindsight, it didn't affect the outcome of the set, Keys had a then-pivotal hold in the third game, saving three break points in six deuces. Then, Mboko found her breakthrough, earning the break back to get the match back on serve. She capitalized and following a hold by Keys, she would have to break Mboko if she wanted to end the match in straights.
Keys had her chances, forcing two match points, but Mboko saved them both and won the final three games of the set to force a decider.
The decider went in favor of Keys, who scored the crucial break at 4-2. Mboko had a chance to keep the match on serve leading 40-15, but after losing those points, as well as another game point in the deuce, Keys capitalized with the break and followed it up with a hold.
Paralleling the second set, Mboko -- down 5-2 -- crawled her way back, winning 12 of the next 13 points with the help of her fourth and final break. Just like that, the match was heading down to the wire, and the veteran's experience paid off as Keys won eight of the final 10 points to book her spot in Paris' sweet 16.
More to come...