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Game, Set, and Match Halep 6-7, 6-4, 6-3 as Halep moves on to her second Wimbledon quarterfinal.
40-30: Keys misses a forehand long.
30-30: Halep misses a forehand wide.
30-15: Keys struggles to get to ball and nets forehand.
15-15: Keys misses a backhand long.
0-15: Keys cracks a forehand return winner.
Keys holds on for 5-3 and forces Halep to serve the match out.
40-15: Keys floats a backhand wide.
40-0: Keys blasts a huge forehand winner.
30-0: Halep nets a forehand.
15-0: Halep misses a forehand return wide.
Halep cracks an ace down the middle to go up 5-2 and force Keys to serve to stay in the match.
40-30: Keys misses a forehand return wide.
30-30: Keys hits a forehand crosscourt making Halep miss wide.
30-15: Keys cracks a forehand winner down the line.
30-0: Keys nets a backhand return.
15-0: Keys misses a forehand long.
Keys double faults and gifts the break to Halep and with that a 4-2 lead.
15-40: Halep shoots down an overhead for a winner.
15-30: Keys cracks a backhand winner.
0-30: Keys misses a forehand long.
0-15: Keys nets a backhand.
Halep holds for 3-2 off a netted forehand from Keys.
40-0: Keys swats a backhand return way long.
30-0: Keys misses a backhand long.
15-0: Keys misses a forehand long.
Keys cracks a big backhand winner for 2-2.
40-15: Halep misses a forehand long.
30-15: Keys nets a backhand off a big forehand from Halep.
30-0: Keys hits a forehand cross-court approach winner.
15-0: Halep floats a forehand return wide.
Halep holds off a wide backhand from Keys to go up 2-1.
40-30: Keys misses a backhand long.
30-30: Halep tracks down a drop shot and hits a backhand winner.
15-30: Keys misses a backhand long.
0-30: Halep nets a forehand.
0-15: Halep misses a forehand long.
Keys holds for 1-all off a missed backhand from Halep and the Romanian clearly frustrated.
AD-40: Keys hits a drop shot winner.
40-40: Keys smacks a huge forehand winner to save break point.
30-40: Halep tracks down a drop shot and pulls off a beautiful backhand winner.
30-30: Keys nets a backhand.
30-15: Halep nets a backhand return.
15-15: Halep nets an attempted passing shot.
0-15: Keys nets a backhand.
Keys nets a backhand return and Halep holds to love to go up 1-0 in the third set.
40-0: Keys dumps a forehand into the net.
30-0: Keys nets a return.
15-0: Keys hits a return way long.
Keys nets a forehand and Halep breaks to take the second set 6-4.
30-40: Keys nets a backhand to give Halep set point.
30-30: Keys nets a backhand.
30-15: Keys cracks a forehand crosscourt for a winner.
15-15: Keys misses a backhand volley just wide.
15-0: Halep misses a forehand return wide.
Halep cracks an ace to hold for 5-4, forcing Keys to serve to stay in the set.
40-0: Keys floats a forehand long.
30-0: Keys shoots a backhand long.
15-0: Keys misses a backhand wide.
Keys takes an easy hold with a nice volley winner for 4-all.
40-0: Halep misses a backhand long.
30-0: Halep misses a return into the net.
15-0: Halep misses a forehand.
Halep fends off four break points to hold for 4-3.
AD-40: Keys hits a return long.
40-40: Keys hits down a volley for a winner.
AD-40: Keys misses a return.
40-40: Keys nets a backhand.
40-AD: Halep misses a forehand lob.
40-40: Halep hits a precision forehand winner down the line.
30-40: Keys misses a backhand return.
15-40: Halep hits a nice forehand approach unreturned from Keys.
0-40: Keys blasts a huge forehand winner.
0-30: Halep misses a backhand.
0-15: Keys cracks a forehand down the line winner.
Keys takes another volley winner and holds for 3-all.
40-15: Keys smacks down a volley for a winner.
30-15: Halep misses a forehand long.
15-15: Halep hits a beautiful forehand passing shot on the run.
15-0: Keys hits a swing volley winner.
Keys misses a forehand long and Halep holds for 3-2.
AD-40: Keys nets a backhand.
40-40: Keys misses a forehand into the net.
40-30: Keys misses a forehand wide.
30-30: Keys misses a return.
15-30: Halep misses a backhand.
15-15: Keys cracks a huge forehand return for a winner.
15-0: Keys misses a forehand.
Keys misses a forehand and levels the set at 2-all.
40-AD: Keys misses a backhand.
40-40: Halep misses a backhand.
AD-40: Keys misses a forehand long.
40-40: Halep cannot return a big serve from Keys.
30-40: Keys misses a backhand long.
30-30: Keys double faults.
30-15: Keys hits a forehand winner.
15-15: Keys misses a backhand down the line wide.
15-0: Halep misses a forehand return.
Keys floats a backhand long and Halep holds for 1-2.
40-0: Keys misses a backhand volley.
30-0: Keys misses a backhand long.
15-0: Halep hits a forehand winner.
Keys blasts a huge ace down the middle for a 2-0 lead.
40-30: Keys puts away a forehand volley for a winner.
30-30: Halep misses a backhand into the net.
15-30: Keys pushes a volley wide.
15-15: Keys misses a forehand approach into the net.
15-0: Keys hits a big unreturned serve.
Halep misses a backhand long and gifts Keys the immediate break to go down 0-1.
15-40: Keys hits a forehand long.
0-40: Halep throws in another double fault.
0-30: Halep nets a backhand.
0-15: Keys hits a big forehand volley winner.
Keys takes the set 7-6 with a huge forehand crosscourt winner.
5-6: Keys hits a backhand long.
4-6: Keys misses a forehand return.
6-3: Keys smacks down an overhead to bring up three set points.
5-3: Halep tries to track down a great volley but misses the pass.
3-4: Keys misses a backhand into the net.
2-4: Keys nets a forehand.
4-1: Halep hits a backhand way long.
3-1: Halep hits a backhand long.
1-2: Poor luck for Keys as a great volley clips the net and bounces over to her side.
0-2: Halep misses a forehand long.
1-0: Halep misses a backhand into the net.
Keys hits a big forehand passing shot to break and bring the set to a tiebreak.
30-40: Keys cracks a huge forehand return winner.
30-30: Halep digs out two perfect volleys before a beautiful forehand passing shot winner.
15-30: Halep recovers with a beautiful backhand down the line winner.
0-30: Big return from Keys and Halep mis-hits long.
0-15: Halep misses a backhand into the net.
Halep claims a break to love off a mis-hit forehand from Keys. Halep will serve for the opening set at 6-5.
0-40: Halep wrong foots Keys and brings up three break points.
0-30: Keys nets a forehand.
0-15: Keys misses a forehand long.
Keys makes a beautiful lob to break and level the match at 5-all.
40-AD: Keys cracks a forehand return and Halep misses.
40-40: Halep double faults again.
AD-40: Long exchange from both players with Keys missing a volley long results in another set point.
40-40: Keys blasts a gutsy backhand down the line return winner.
AD-40: Keys misses an easy forehand return into the net,
40-40: Halep misses a forehand long.
40-30: Halep throws in a nervy double fault.
40-15: Long forehand from Keys gives Halep two set points.
30-15: Forehand crosscourt from Halep misses its mark long.
30-0: Keys floats a backhand long.
15-0: Keys misses a forehand return.
Halep breaks having to track down a volley and an inch-perfect lob seals the break for the Romanian. Halep to serve for the opening set at 5-4.
30-40: Keys hits a forehand long to give Halep break point.
30-30: Halep forces Keys deep, causes another error.
30-15: Poor return from Halep into the net.
15-15: Keys frames a backhand wide.
15-0: Missed forehand from Halep.
Halep takes an easy hold to love off some errors from Keys to bring the score to 4-all.
40-0: Keys backhand floats long.
30-0: Keys misses a forehand down the line into the net.
15-0: Keys nets a backhand on the run.
Keys closes out the game with a big ace to hold for 4-3.
40-15: Beautiful kick serve from Keys results in a missed return from Halep.
30-15: Keys double faults.
30-0: Halep hits a backhand long.
15-0: Keys cracks a big ace down the middle.
A netted return from Keys gives the hold to Halep to level the set at 3-all.
40-30: Halep hits a forehand approach shot long.
40-15: Keys misses a return into the net.
30-15: Keys tracks down a drop shot with a crafty drop shot of her own.
30-0: Halep places a beautiful forehand crosscourt winner.
15-0: Keys nets a forehand return.
Keys holds with a big serve out wide unreturned from Halep to go up 3-2.
AD-40: Forehand return in the net from Halep.
40-40: Keys misses a backhand long.
40-30: Keys cracks a huge backhand down the line winner.
30-30: Keys forehand flies long and gives Halep a window on serve.
30-15: Keys double faults.
30-0: Huge forehand approach shot winner goes cross-court from Keys.
15-0: Forehand return floats long from Halep.
Halep takes another comfortable to level the set at 2-all.
40-15: Keys nets a forehand return to give Halep game point.
30-15: Unreturned serve from Halep.
15-15: Halep hits a forehand long.
15-0: Long rally finished off with a cross-court forehand winner from Halep.
Madison Keys won the toss and elected to serve.
Simona Halep and Madison Keys walk onto No. 1 Court.
With both players having shown impressive form throughout their first three matches and their head to head tied at one apiece, this round of 16 encounter will come down to who executes their game plan better. For Halep, the Romanian will need to focus on defending well, getting every ball back and forcing Keys to play that one extra shot and forcing errors out of the American. For Keys, everything comes down to using her arsenal of weapons well, hitting her spots on her serve and cracking her groundstrokes. If Keys can make Halep feel the pressure of the big serve and powerful shots, Halep will most likely eventually fold and the American will win through. This one should be a very tight and entertaining encounter, but expect the big game of Keys to play dividends and for the American to make her second straight Wimbledon quarterfinal. Prediction: Keys in three sets.
Unlike Halep who did not play an event on grass ahead of Wimbledon, Keys played one event on the lawn ahead of going to the third major of the season. At the Aegon Classic in Birmingham, a WTA Premier level event, the huge-hitting American did not drop a set in her first two matches against Timea Babos of Hungary and Austrian Tamira Paszek. In the quarterfinals, the world number nine was forced to battle past young Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, with Keys winning through 6-7, 6-4, 6-2. In the semifinals, the 21-year-old Keys again had to come back from a set down, this time defeating Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 to book a spot in the final and a career milestone, a spot in the WTA top 10. In the final, Keys was finally able to summon her best tennis, taking a second title after her Eastbourne triumph in 2014 to cement herself as a major title contender here at Wimbledon with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Czech Barbora Strycova.
For Halep, the Romanian was scheduled to play one grass court lead-up event, the Aegon Classic in Birmingham. Unfortunately, the 2014 semifinalist was forced to withdraw before the tournament with an Achilles injury, something that has bothered the world number five throughout 2016.
Halep and Keys first met two years ago on the slow hard courts ahead of the Australian Open at the Apia International Sydney. In the pair's second round meeting, it was the big-hitting Keys who came out on top with the American winning easily 6-1, 6-4. Later that year in Rome, it was Halep who got her revenge, with the Romanian securing a hard fought 5-7, 6-0, 6-1 win over the American on the even slower red clay of Italy. The two have not met since, but with both players having taken monumental strides since with Halep making the Roland Garros final that year and Keys reaching the semifinals in Melbourne a year later, both players have matured greatly and their games have developed as more all-around games.
For Keys, the big-hitting American began her tournament with a very tricky opponent in the form of this years' Stuttgart finalist Laura Siegemund. The ninth seed handled the German's crafty game well, showing consistency with her power strokes on her way to a comfortable 6-3, 6-1 victory. In the second round, the 21-year-old American faced another very tough proposition in grass court specialist and 2013 semifinalist Kirsten Flipkens. The world number nine and ninth seed here at these Championships struggled at times dealing with the low slice of Flipkens, but even without her best tennis last years' quarterfinalist kept up her hopes of a maiden Grand Slam win with a hard fought 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 victory over the Belgian. Most recently in the third round, the 2015 Australian Open semifinalist and this years' Birmingham champion again overcame a tricky opponent, holding off Frenchwomen Alize Cornet 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to advance to a fourth-round meeting with Halep.
Halep began her quest for a maiden Grand Slam title with a comfortable 6-4, 6-1 victory over Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the first round. The Romanian was then forced to wait a few days to play her second round match, finally getting on the court on Friday against former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone. The fifth seed put up a clinical performance, dismantling the Italian to move on to the third round with the loss of just two games 6-1, 6-1. Most recently, the 2014 Roland Garros runner-up and Wimbledon semifinalist claimed a fairly routine straight sets win over Dutchwomen Kiki Bertens, who defeated Halep's opponent Madison Keys on her way to this years' French Open semifinals, a dream result for the 26th seed.
Welcome to live coverage of the Wimbledon fourth round! My name is Thomas Cluck, and I am happy to be bringing you point-by-point coverage of the Wimbledon fourth round here on VAVEL. From now until the match begins at 8:00 am ET, news and notes will be above to get you up to speed. Be sure to return at match time for point-by-point updates!