*Pliskova 0-4 Keys (9) Temperatures have just hit 30C in Melbourne. Madison Keys is doing her best to find shade as quickly as possible, holding to love in quicktime.
Pliskova 0-3 Keys (9)* If Pliskova is to stay in this contest she needs to serve big, so it’s not a great sign that her first serve percentage is under 50% midway through her second service game with Keys up 0-30. The Czech finds some rhythm and a few easy points but Keys forces deuce with what is already her sixth clean winner of the day. The American is hitting the ball considerably harder than her opponent, dominating from the baseline.
Pliskova serves and volleys to set up game point but as soon as a rally forms Keys ups the ante, eventually putting away another forehand whip across her body. A double fault invites a break point and the defending champion secures the double break when Pliskova dumps a forehand into the net.
The early signs on RLA are that the ninth seed is too strong, too quick, and too aggressive for the former world number 1.
*Pliskova 0-2 Keys (9) Again Pliskova concedes soft unforced errors during innocuous establishing rallies to fall 30-0 behind. Keys double faults then overhits from the baseline as her opponent finds consistent depth in her groundstrokes for the first time this morning. A 190kmh ace sets up the hold but she can’t follow through and we head to deuce.
