Despite being a spectator, Pam Shriver looked flushed as sheleft Show Court 3 at the Australian Open.
''That was the real deal,'' Shriver, the former Americanstar, said as she touched her open palm rapidly to her chest to demonstrate herracing pulse. ''You don’t have a serve like that at 17 years old. The way shegot out of that love-40 game. The easy power. The big forehand. It’s exciting.I haven’t felt this for 15 years.''
The real deal in question was Madison Keys, still just 17 ina game in which true teen prodigies have become scarcer on the Grand Slamgrounds. But Keys, a tall and powerfully built American from Florida by way ofIllinois, has been imposing herself on her elders with a newfound regularity sofar this season, and on Wednesday she swept past the 30th-seeded Tamira Paszek,6-2, 6-1, in less than an hour to reach the third round.
Keys is no Grand Slam debutante. She won a round at the 2011U.S. Open at age 16 and lost in the first round of the Australian Open lastyear as a wild card. But her game “ brimming with power and promise “ hasreached a new level of maturity and menace.
''I feel more prepared for this one,'' she said. ''My firstU.S. Open main draw, it was a big stadium and wasn’t really used to it. But Ifeel good about this one so far, yeah.''
Overwhelming Paszek, a rhythm baseliner who usually thriveson groundstroke pace, is no child’s play. But Keys managed it, forcing theAustrian to shorten her strokes and make desperate decision after desperatedecision. But the real disparity was in the serve: Paszek’s weakness and Keys’sprecocious strength. It seemed altogether fitting that the last stroke of thematch was an ace from Keys down the T that was clocked at 190 kilometers, or118 miles, per hour.
''I think that’s one of her advantages: She can producepower from pretty much anywhere on the court, but her serve is, I think, herbiggest weapon,'' said Juan Todero, her coach at the U.S. Tennis Association.
Shriver, a former U.S. Open singles finalist and serialdoubles champion, suggested that Keys might have the second-best serve in thewomen’s game after Serena Williams by the end of the year. Lindsay Davenport,an American who was once ranked No. 1, said in a Twitter message: ''Really funwatching Keys play. Regardless of how this tourney plays out, incrediblepotential. Best hope I’ve seen for U.S.''
Asked how Davenport’s faith made her feel, Keys said: ''Imean, it makes me happy. You know, I think I’ve been working really hard. Ithink it’s starting to show.''
But perhaps this is the right time to take a collective deepbreath, exhale and let the 105th-ranked Keys generate a few more upsets andpressure aces down the T before sprinting to conclusions and trophypresentations.
''Listen, I still see some ups and downs for the next 18months, but I think by the time she’s 20 years old, she’s going to have areally good package,'' said her agent Max Eisenbud, who also represents MariaSharapova and Li Na. ''So hopefully, Sloane can take all the attention and letMadison stay under the radar.''
''Sloane’' is Sloane Stephens, the 19-year-old American whois seeded 29th here and into the second round, where she will face her formerjunior rival, the 19-year-old Kristina Mladenovic of France.
Clearly Keys is part of a youth movement this year, even ifKimiko Date-Krumm of Japan managed to win a match Tuesday at age 42.
There were three teenagers in the second round of theAustralian Open in 2012. This year, there were 11, which would seem to runcounter to the prevailing wisdom that the modern women’s game has become toophysically demanding for youngsters to make a major impact.
