Madison Keys downs Coco Gauff to set up Daria Kasatkina final at 2023 Eastbourne International

Madison Keys defeated Coco Gauff in straight sets in their Eastbourne International semi-final to set up a final against Daria Kasatkina.

The 19-year-old is on the south coast as she regains familiarity on grass ahead of Wimbledon, which starts next week.

With the Grand Slam at SW19 imminent, players across Europe are competing on grass, and Gauff faced Keys at Eastbourne having had a successful tournament so far.

Keys had not beaten a top 10 player on grass since winning in Eastbourne in the final against Angelique Kerber in 2014, so the victory over the No. 5 seed augurs well for her own tilt at the title at Wimbledon.

Keys broke Gauff in the fifth game of the first set, and repeated the feat to take the set.

Gauff broke back in the second but three double faults in a row at 2-1 let Keys challenge once more, and despite failing to convert three match points, held her serve to get over the line, 6-3 6-3.

In the day’s other semi-final, Kasatkina defeated Camila Giorgi 6-2 7-5.

Kasatkina converted each of her seven break points as she dominated in the first set before grinding out the second.

At the Bad Homburg Open in Germany, Katerina Siniakova beat Liudmila Samsonova 7-5 4-6 6-2 as they finished off the remainder of their quarter-final.

– – –