After a routine hold to start, the Pole broke at love by constructing a point that finished with a close at the net. Swiatek would lose just three points on her serve in the opening set, while Keys—playing her first tournament since an opening-round exit at the US Open—contributed 15 unforced errors to go with a single winner that took 17 minutes to produce.
Keys broke back in the early goings of set two, only to double fault in handing Swiatek the re-break as her struggles to accelerate on a modified service motion couldn’t be contained. Swiatek staved off two break points in the final game to move ahead 6-2 in the pair’s head-to-head series, capping her day by claiming 10 of 12 points against her opponent’s second serve. Keys finished with a -25 differential in winners to unforced errors.
The world No. 2 is looking to win the year-end event for the second time in three years, having triumphed over Jessica Pegula in 2023 when Cancun hosted. Swiatek now owns nine Top 10 victories this season, picking up her first since denying Jasmine Paolini in the Cincinnati Open final.
