section_path: Career/2015: Australian Open semifinal, top 20
section_name: 2015: Australian Open semifinal, top 20
paragraph_text: 2015: Australian Open semifinal, top 20
  
  In the off-season, Keys began working with former world No. 1, Lindsay Davenport, as well as her husband Jon Leach. With her new coaching team, Keys made her breakthrough into the upper echelon of women's tennis at the Australian Open. She upset reigning Wimbledon champion and No. 4, Petra Kvitová, in straight sets in the third round. In the quarterfinals, Keys got a second opportunity to face off against Venus Williams, who was ranked No. 18 in the world. She defeated Venus for the first time in a tight three-set match, despite injuring her left thigh in the middle of the second set. This set up a clash with world No. 1, Serena Williams, in the semifinals. After a very tight first set, Keys ultimately lost in straight sets. After the match, Serena, who eventually went on to capture the title, spoke of a bright future for Keys, saying, "It was an honor for me to play someone who will be No. 1 in the future." With her first major semifinal, Keys climbed into the top 20 for the first time.
  
  Keys failed to carry her momentum through the early-year hardcourt season. Nonetheless, she continued to impress once the clay-court season came around. She reached the final at the Charleston Open, losing to Angelique Kerber after conceding a 4–1 lead in the third set. As the 16th seed at the French Open, Keys made it to the third round before falling to 23rd seed Timea Bacsinszky, in straight sets. She then continued her series of strong performances at majors by reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.
  
  At the US Open, Keys advanced to the fourth round, where she was defeated by Serena Williams at a major for the second time this year. Keys finished the season with a high enough ranking to qualify for the inaugural WTA Elite Trophy, a year-end tournament similar to the top-tier WTA Finals for the top-ranked players who did not qualify for those higher level finals. Keys finished in second place in her three-person round-robin group, ahead of Zheng Saisai whom she beat and behind top overall seed Venus Williams whom she lost to in a close match. As the group winner, Venus was the only player to advance to the finals and ultimately won the tournament. After the season was over, Keys split from her coaching team in order to find a full-time coach, a role Davenport was unable to fulfill due to commitments to her family and to her job as a commentator.
  
  In the off-season, Keys began working with former world No. 1, Lindsay Davenport, as well as her husband Jon Leach. With her new coaching team, Keys made her breakthrough into the upper echelon of women's tennis at the Australian Open. She upset reigning Wimbledon champion and No. 4, Petra Kvitová, in straight sets in the third round. In the quarterfinals, Keys got a second opportunity to face off against Venus Williams, who was ranked No. 18 in the world. She defeated Venus for the first time in a tight three-set match, despite injuring her left thigh in the middle of the second set. This set up a clash with world No. 1, Serena Williams, in the semifinals. After a very tight first set, Keys ultimately lost in straight sets. After the match, Serena, who eventually went on to capture the title, spoke of a bright future for Keys, saying, "It was an honor for me to play someone who will be No. 1 in the future." With her first major semifinal, Keys climbed into the top 20 for the first time.
  
  Keys failed to carry her momentum through the early-year hardcourt season. Nonetheless, she continued to impress once the clay-court season came around. She reached the final at the Charleston Open, losing to Angelique Kerber after conceding a 4–1 lead in the third set. As the 16th seed at the French Open, Keys made it to the third round before falling to 23rd seed Timea Bacsinszky, in straight sets. She then continued her series of strong performances at majors by reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.
  
  At the US Open, Keys advanced to the fourth round, where she was defeated by Serena Williams at a major for the second time this year. Keys finished the season with a high enough ranking to qualify for the inaugural WTA Elite Trophy, a year-end tournament similar to the top-tier WTA Finals for the top-ranked players who did not qualify for those higher level finals. Keys finished in second place in her three-person round-robin group, ahead of Zheng Saisai whom she beat and behind top overall seed Venus Williams whom she lost to in a close match. As the group winner, Venus was the only player to advance to the finals and ultimately won the tournament. After the season was over, Keys split from her coaching team in order to find a full-time coach, a role Davenport was unable to fulfill due to commitments to her family and to her job as a commentator.