Australian Open: Defending champion Keys, Pegula, Anisimova continue winning run

Melbourne [Australia], January 24 (ANI): Defending champion Madison Keys continued her winning run at the Australian Open, outclassing former world number one Karolina Pliskova on Saturday.
Keys continued her winning run at the Australian Open, extending her unbeaten run to 10 matches, outclassing the former US Open and Wimbledon finalist 6-3, 6-3 to end her hopes of any further run in the tournament.
Now, she books a clash for the round of 16 with Jessica Pegula, a familiar rival, against whom she enjoys a 2-1 head-to-head record, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 win on Australian soil in the final of the Adelaide International last January.
Pegula was absolutely dominant against qualifier Oksana Selekhmeteva, as the sixth-seeded player crushed Oksana 6-3, 6-2. A former US Open finalist and world number six, Pegula will be aiming to outdo her three quarterfinal finishes at Australia.
Speaking on playing against Keys, Pegula said, as quoted by the WTA website, "She plays very well down here. Obviously, we know that. She is the defending champion. I think she is kind of embracing that and has been playing some pretty good matches, as well. Pretty straightforward."
"It will be interesting. I think I need to kind of go back to the drawing board and look at some things I need to change. The last few times I have played her, I feel like I just -- she played well, I think, in Adelaide last year," she added.
Pegula also feels she is doing a lot of things right this year.
"I kind of need to figure out some things that I need to do differently against her, because I have lost the last couple of times. She is the type of player who, when she is on, she can beat anybody. We know that. I am just going to have to use some of the tools I think that I have gotten better at, and hopefully they work. We will see. But I am excited for the challenge to kind of hopefully turn that around a little bit," he added.
Also, the world number four, Amanda Anisimova, continued her fine run, reaching the fourth round for the second successive year in Australia, outclassing compatriot Peyton Stearns 6-1, 6-4 at Margaret Court Arena. (ANI)