Stearns upsets Keys in deciding tiebreak in Rome third round

Peyton Stearns delivered the biggest upset so far at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, triumphing in an all-American third round to upset No. 5 seed Madison Keys 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(3) and advance to her second consecutive WTA 1000 fourth round. There, she will face either Naomi Osaka or Marie Bouzkova.

Rome: Draws | Scores | Order of play

Stearns had also come through her only previous meeting with Keys, in the second round of Toronto last year -- albeit via retirement, after a leg injury forced Keys to pull out while trailing 3-0 in the third set. In the rematch, the 23-year-old finished the job to notch her second career Top 10 win following her defeat of Zheng Qinwen in Dubai three months ago. Stearns twice led by a break in the third set, only for Keys to peg her back both times and force a tiebreak -- but Stearns came up with a terrific drop shot-pass combination to gain a decisive 5-3 lead.

Currently at a career high of No. 42 in the PIF WTA Rankings, Stearns has historically thrived on red clay. Both of her Hologic WTA Tour finals have come on clay -- a runner-up finish at Bogota 2023 and a maiden title in Rabat last year -- and she is coming off a run to the Madrid fourth round, including an upset of Amanda Anisimova.