US Open Wild Card Playoffs: Semifinalist Madison Keys

As she told the USTA yesterday, Madison Keys tried not to think about her “match in progress” status before she went to bed Thursday night, but admitted it wasn’t easy.

“It’s hard not to think about it but you just have to put it out of your mind,” said Keys, who was down 4-3 to Ashley Weinhold on Thursday before the rains came down and pushed the USTA U.S. Open Wild Card Playoff back one day. “Usually you have the first game or two to get over the nerves but that 4-3 game is a big one.”

The 16-year-old No. 7 seeded player from Boca Raton, Fla., Keys rallied to beat No. 2 Weinhold, 7-5, 6-2, on Friday to advance on at the event being played at the Junior Champions Tennis Training Center at College Park, Md. She’ll face Gail Brodsky later today for a spot in the final.

“It’s awesome to get the invite to an event like this,” Keys told the USTA. “All eight of us are happy to be here but by the end of the tournament only one of us will be really happy.”