Madison Keys kept the United States from being in a big hole against Australia by routing Kimberly Birrell, 6-2, 6-2, on Saturday in the Fed Cup quarterfinals in Asheville, N.C.Keys’s victory came after Ashleigh Barty posted a 6-1, 7-6 (2) victory over Sofia Kenin earlier in the day. Keys and Barty will square off Sunday with the best-of-five matches tied, 1-1. Avoiding an 0-2 deficit was crucial for the United States, which lost to the Czech Republic in last year’s final. “We’ll take it one match at a time,” the American captain, Kathy Rinaldi, said afterward. “That’s what we’ve been doing since I’ve been captain.

Source: New York Times February 10, 2019 00:45 UTC