Madison Keys eliminated by Caroline Garcia at WTA Elite Trophy

ZHUHAI, China — Madison Keys, the second seed at the WTA Elite Trophy, suffered a disappointing defeat in the second round-robin match. Caroline Garcia emerged victorious with a 6-3, 7-6 (3) win on Wednesday.

In her previous match, Keys faced an upset against eighth-seeded Beatriz Haddad Maia. To keep her hopes alive for the semifinals, the American needed a win against the No.20-ranked Garcia.

In spite of delivering six aces, Keys was unable to prevent the ninth-seeded Frenchwoman from securing the only service break of the match and winning the first set. Remaining composed and resilient, Garcia conquered the tighter second set to register her first victory over the 11th-ranked Keys since their encounter in the Fed Cup playoff back in 2014.

Garcia will face Haddad Maia on Friday in a crucial match to determine the winner of the Camellia group and secure a spot in the semifinals.

Barbora Krejcikova, the top seed, faced a setback in her quest for advancement after a tough battle against Daria Kasatkina. The match concluded with a 7-5, 1-6, 6-1 victory in favor of Kasatkina.

In a match marked by fluctuating dominance, Kasatkina reclaimed momentum in the decisive set, winning six of the final seven games to secure the win after two hours and 10 minutes of play.

The sixth-seeded Russian will now face Magda Linette in her next match, who had previously lost to Krejcikova. The outcome of this match will determine whether Kasatkina advances to the semifinals. If Linette emerges victorious, the semifinal spot will be determined by sets or games won between the three players.

Later on Wednesday, the top-ranked Chinese player Zheng Qinwen will take on Donna Vekic, the 10th seed, in the first match of the Orchid group.

The 12-player tournament serves as the inaugural postseason event on the women’s tour. It features the 11 highest-ranked singles players who did not qualify for the upcoming WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico. Zhu Lin, ranked 37th, received a wild-card entry for the tournament.

The players are divided into four groups of three, and the winner of each group will advance to the semifinals on Saturday. The final match is scheduled for Sunday.