By Pritha Sarkar
LONDON (Reuters) – French Open runner-up Jasmine Paolini reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time after a totally distraught Madison Keys was forced to call it quits at 5-5 in the third set with a suspected groin injury.
Keys appeared to have one foot in the last eight when she went to serve for the match at 5-2 up the deciding set but clutched her left groin immediately after getting broken.
The American 12th seed called for the trainer one game later and limped off court for a medical time out before re-emerging with her left thigh heavily strapped.
Upon resumption, she started sobbing after netting a drop shot to fall 15-40 behind. Although the 29-year-old saved the first break point with a stupendous backhand winner, she was again in tears after surrendering her serve with a double fault.
Clearly struggling to even walk between points, Keys somehow conjured a lob to win the first point off Paolini’s next service game. But when she saw the next point whizz past her for an ace, she shook her head and signalled it was all over as she walked to the net to give her Italian opponent a tearful hug.
The Italian seventh seed had produced a stirring comeback from 5-1 down in the second set to force a tiebreak and the final score ended up being 6-3 6-7(6) 5-5 in Paolini’s favour when a heartbroken Keys had to call it a day.
Paolini will next face either U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff or American 19th seed Emma Navarro.
(Reporting by Pritha Sarkar; Editing by Alison Williams)
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