Madison Keys wins Aegon Classic title with win over Barbora Strycova

American Madison Keys celebrated moving into the world’s top 10 for the first time by winning the grass title in BIRMINGHAM in emphatic style on Sunday.

The seventh seed eased to a 6-3, 6-4 win over the unseeded Czech veteran Barbora Strycova, setting her up perfectly for a tilt at the Wimbledon crown in a week’s time. Keys, for whom this was a second WTA title, is the first US woman to debut in the top 10 since Serena Williams in 1999.

The 21-year-old produced some ferocious hitting, but although she made fewer errors compared with earlier in the week, there remained inconsistencies which allowed Strycova chances to get a grip on the second set.

With Wimbledon just eight days away, Chris Evert, three times a Wimbledon champion, tweeted her expectations of her compatriot. “She’s no flash in the pan. She’s had to do it in her time – but now she’s ready,” Evert wrote.