Great escape! Keys saves 5 match points, beats Bondar in third-set tiebreaker at US Open

NEW YORK -- In the match of the US Open so far, 22nd seed Madison Keys came from 5-2 down in the third set and saved five match points in a thrilling 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (5) win over Anna Bondar.

Playing in front of a raucous crowd on Court 17, the former Australian Open champion caught a couple of lucky breaks when Bondar, currently No. 73 in the PIF WTA Rankings, hit two double faults on her first two match points.

After Keys broke to cut it to 5-3, she fell behind 15-40 on her serve. A pair of forehand winners on the line brought it to deuce, and she later saved a fifth match point with another forehand winner before taking the game.

Keys took the next two games for the 6-5 lead before Bondar held to force the deciding 10-point tiebreaker.

With some of the momentum back, Bondar jumped out to a 5-3 lead. And that's when Keys' forehand saved her again. She hit four consecutive forehand winners to take a 7-5 lead, then won the last three points to secure the win and book a spot in the third round.

After the last match point, a forehand bullet that Bondar, standing at net, couldn't handle, Keys let loose a thunderous reaction.

This was the first time Keys won after saving a match point at the US Open, and the first time since coming from behind to beat Eva Lys 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (1) in Cincinnati last year.