Madison keys into semis in río 2016

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil 
Madison keys closed in on a medal at her maiden Olympics with a quick-fire win over daría kasatkina on Thursday afternoon.

Five breaks of serve propelled Keys towards a 6-3, 6-1 victory and a semifinal meeting with either Johanna Konta  or No.2 seed Angelique kerber.

In a contest that lasted just 53 minutes, Keys had nearly wrapped up the opening set before many of the spectators had found their seats. Making light of the slow court and gusty conditions, the American showcased her impressive shotmaking to rattle through the first five games.

While Kasatkina capitalized on a lull in the barrage of winners to belatedly get on the scoreboard, any suggestion that this would herald a more competitive second set were nipped in the bud with a trio of backhand winners and an immediate break.