Keys Vs Pegula Highlights, Australian Open 2026: 31-Year-Old Ousts Defending Champion To Book QF Spot

Both players entering the court as the match to get underway soon.

Madison Keys currently leads the head-to-head between the two players, having won two of their three previous meetings. The most recent meeting came at the 2025 Adelaide Open final, with Keys again coming through in three sets.

And we are underway with Pegula serving first against Keys in the first set. The American races to 40-0 and takes a 1-0 lead in the first set.

31-year-old Pegula breaks Keys' serve and then holds on to her own serve, as he goes 3-0 in the first set. Keys needs to brush up her skills or else could end conceding the first set to her American friend.

Defending champion Madison Keys faces an uphill task with Jessica Pegula in 4-1 lead in the 1st set. Do remember that the winner of this match will face either Xinyu Wang or Amanda Anisimova in the quarter-finals. That one will be played on John Cain Arena later in the day.

1-4 down but the defending champions makes a stirring effort to get it to 3-4 in the first set. We have a match on our hands folks!

Jessica Pegula makes pretty quick work of this match as she lands the first set 6-3. The defending champion Keys has struggled with some unforced errors and has only won 43 per cent of her first-serve points.

Keys' title defence under threat as Pegula races to yet another 2-0 lead in the second set. 31-year-old is looking sharp on the court as she breaks Madison Keys' serve.

Pegula is just rampant. She is leaving no stone unturned in showing that she means business here at the Rod Laver Arena. The 31-year-old breaks Keys' serve and races to a 4-1 lead as she's two games away from sealing a spot in the quarter-finals.

Madison Keys is serving to stay in the game but it's Pegula, who is now ready to break her serve and moreover, seal her spot in the quarter-finals. Sensational performance this from the 31-year-old.

That's it! Pegula wins it as she defeats her American friend and defending champion, Madison Keys in the fourth round. Pegula wins 6-3, 6-4. Pegula now awaits the winner between Amanda Anisimova and Xinyu Wang which will begin shortly on the John Cain Arena.