American Keys to play for Family Circle title against Kerber

CHARLESTON: Madison Keys hopes to show she can play championship tennis on any surface out there.
The 20-year-old American reached the Family Circle Cup final with a dominating, 6-1, 6-4 victory over Lucie Hradecka on Saturday. It extended an unlikely run of success for the seventh-seeded Keys on what she’s acknowledged is not her favorite type of court.
Have four victories this week here changed her outlook?
“I expect to win the French Open now, yes,” she said, laughing.
This event proves the progress she’s made overall.
“It’s still just working on my game and working on being more consistent and playing the right shots,” she said. “Whether it’s on grass, hard court, clouds, whatever, it has to be the same thing.”
Keys will be tested in Sunday’s championship match by fifth-seeded Angelique Kerber, who ended the run of Family Circle success of good friend and fellow German Andrea Petkovic with a 6-4, 6-4 win in the other semifinal.
Keys topped Kerber in three sets for her lone WTA title, on grass at Eastbourne last June. Keys seems perfectly suited for the quicker courts, a powerhouse who cracked serves as high as 124 mph against Hradecka and looks to aggressively end points as quickly as possible.
Clay is all about patience, isn’t it?
Not necessarily, said Kerber.

All-American Houston final

Jack Sock reached his first ATP final on Saturday with a straight-sets win over third-seeded Kevin Anderson in Houston, setting up an all-American title clash with Sam Querrey.
Sock needed one hour and 33 minutes to dispatch South Africa’s Anderson 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.
Eighth-seeded Querrey shook off a rain delay to defeat defending champion and sixth seed Fernando Verdasco 7-5, 2-6, 6-4.
Although Sock was able to convert only one of his nine break opportunities it was enough as he fired seven aces and won 77 percent of his total service points.
“Kevin is not easy to play on any surface,” Sock said. “I really enjoy playing on clay. I thought it gave me a little more time today against such a big server and big hitter.
“I served pretty well today, was holding pretty comfortably throughout the match. I was able to scrap out a few more points in the second set to get the break and that was enough today.”
The 22-year-old, ranked 46th in the world, has come back strong from a pelvic injury that sidelined him in January and February.
His victory over 16th-ranked Anderson marked the third Top 20 win of his 2015 campaign and second this week. He toppled second-seeded Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in the second round.
Although he will be contesting his first ATP singles final he’s no stranger to the game’s big stages. His four doubles titles include a Wimbledon triumph with Vasek Pospisil last year over Bob and Mike Bryan.
Querrey ranked 42nd in the world, is back in an ATP final for the first time since he lifted the trophy in Los Angeles in 2012.
“I’m stoked,” he said. “It was a great match, and I served well. I’m just really happy to be out here tomorrow.
“It’s going to be a tough one, a fun one, against Jack,” added Querrey, who has never played Sock in a match but has practiced with him often.
Querrey fired 16 aces against 30th-ranked Verdasco, who was denied a 20th ATP finals appearance.
The American had broken for 2-1 in the third set and was trailing 0-15 when rain stopped play for more than an hour.
He dropped the first point when play resumed to fall into a dangerous 0-30 hole, but held on to win the game.
“That was kind of the key to the third set,” said Querrey, who will be seeking an eighth career title. “After that I found a rhythm on my serve and that was enough to close it out.”