US Open Lookahead: Serena Williams' Slam bid runs into Keys

NEW YORK (AP) — It's not that Madison Keys thinks Serena Williams' bid for a true Grand Slam is not a compelling story line.

It's just that the 20-year-old American is as eager to claim the U.S. Open championship as Williams is, of course — and, to do that, Keys must first win their fourth-round showdown in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday.


So when Keys was asked by a reporter how she would feel about being "remembered as the villain" in Williams' "fairy tale," the question drew a shrug.

"What am I going to say? 'I want her to beat me?'" Keys replied. "I mean, yeah, I want to go out and I want to win. I mean, obviously it's a big story: She's won four (major titles) in a row and she's going for the calendar-year (Slam). That's great, but at the same time I want to win. So I'd be OK with beating her, yeah."

Makes sense.

The No. 1-seeded Williams has won all 24 Grand Slam matches she's played in 2015, and needs four more victories to become the first tennis player since Steffi Graf in 1988 to win the sport's four most prestigious tournaments in the same season. Williams also won last year's U.S. Open, so her winning streak at majors is 31 matches.

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