Renata Zarazúa Upsets Madison Keys in U.S. Open Opener

Madison Keys’s bid to defend her status as a formidably dangerous Grand Slam champion was halted in the opening round of the U.S. Open, as Renata Zarazúa of Mexico produced a sustained comeback to upset the sixth seed in a three-hour battle at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Keys, who won the Australian Open earlier this year, was undone by a high-variance match in which she tallied a large number of unforced errors and double faults, ultimately conceding the final set 7-5 after a tense finish.

The match unfolded with Keys taking the first set in a tight, late-breaktiebreak that stretched the stamina of both players. Zarazúa found her rhythm by unleashing off-speed balls and exploiting the angle changes she could impart on Keys’s power game, repeatedly forcing Keys into errors as she tried to reset from the baseline. Despite Keys’s attempts to reestablish control, the Mexican fought back to force a deciding set, putting heavy pressure on her opponent with a blend of variety and persistent accuracy.

In the pivotal moments of the second set, Keys appeared to seize control when she opened a 3-0 advantage, but Zarazúa countered with a fierce stretch of games, drawing Keys into an exchange of...