section_path: Career/2014: First career title
section_name: 2014: First career title
paragraph_text: 2014: First career title
  
  In Keys' second tournament of the year, she returned to the Sydney International and made her first Premier semifinal. She cruised past No. 11, Simona Halep, in the first round before losing to No. 9, Angelique Kerber. She next played at the Australian Open, but was upset by Zheng Jie in the second round after dropping a double break advantage in the final set. In February, Keys made her Fed Cup debut against Italy. She lost her only singles match to Camila Giorgi but managed to win the dead rubber doubles match with Lauren Davis as the United States lost the tie. Keys again participated in Fed Cup in April. The United States lost this tie to France 3–2 and were bounced from the top-tier World Group. Keys won her first Fed Cup match against Alizé Cornet but was unable to win her next singles match or the decisive doubles rubber with Sloane Stephens.
  
  Keys entered the Internationaux de Strasbourg having won back-to-back matches just once since Sydney. She was able to regain her form in France and reached the semifinal at the tournament. At the French Open, she drew tenth-seed Sara Errani, a clay court specialist, and lost in the first round. In the grass-court season, Keys won her first career title at the Eastbourne International, a Premier-level tournament. She defeated two top-ten players at the event, No. 7 Jelena Janković in the first round and No. 9 Kerber in the final. This was her only ever victory over Kerber, who would dominate Keys in their future matches. During the final, she also hit a 126 miles per hour (203 km/h) serve, which would have been the fifth fastest ever on record in women's tennis history if the tournament were officially collecting serve-speed data. The title made the 19-year-old Keys the youngest American titlist since Vania King in 2006 and the first teenage titlist since Caroline Wozniacki in 2009. Keys maintained that form to reach the third round at Wimbledon but was forced to retire due to a leg injury.
  
  Keys won fewer than half of her matches the remainder of the season. One of her best results came at the Cincinnati Open, where she beat an in-form Cornet, before pushing No. 6 Maria Sharapova to three sets in the second round. At the US Open, Keys was seeded for the first time at a major at No. 27 but suffered a disappointing second-round loss to qualifier Aleksandra Krunić. She closed the year by reaching the quarterfinals at the Japan Open. Keys maintained a steady ranking inside the top 50 throughout the year and finished the season at No. 31 in the world.
  
  In Keys' second tournament of the year, she returned to the Sydney International and made her first Premier semifinal. She cruised past No. 11, Simona Halep, in the first round before losing to No. 9, Angelique Kerber. She next played at the Australian Open, but was upset by Zheng Jie in the second round after dropping a double break advantage in the final set. In February, Keys made her Fed Cup debut against Italy. She lost her only singles match to Camila Giorgi but managed to win the dead rubber doubles match with Lauren Davis as the United States lost the tie. Keys again participated in Fed Cup in April. The United States lost this tie to France 3–2 and were bounced from the top-tier World Group. Keys won her first Fed Cup match against Alizé Cornet but was unable to win her next singles match or the decisive doubles rubber with Sloane Stephens.
  
  Keys entered the Internationaux de Strasbourg having won back-to-back matches just once since Sydney. She was able to regain her form in France and reached the semifinal at the tournament. At the French Open, she drew tenth-seed Sara Errani, a clay court specialist, and lost in the first round. In the grass-court season, Keys won her first career title at the Eastbourne International, a Premier-level tournament. She defeated two top-ten players at the event, No. 7 Jelena Janković in the first round and No. 9 Kerber in the final. This was her only ever victory over Kerber, who would dominate Keys in their future matches. During the final, she also hit a 126 miles per hour (203 km/h) serve, which would have been the fifth fastest ever on record in women's tennis history if the tournament were officially collecting serve-speed data. The title made the 19-year-old Keys the youngest American titlist since Vania King in 2006 and the first teenage titlist since Caroline Wozniacki in 2009. Keys maintained that form to reach the third round at Wimbledon but was forced to retire due to a leg injury.
  
  Keys won fewer than half of her matches the remainder of the season. One of her best results came at the Cincinnati Open, where she beat an in-form Cornet, before pushing No. 6 Maria Sharapova to three sets in the second round. At the US Open, Keys was seeded for the first time at a major at No. 27 but suffered a disappointing second-round loss to qualifier Aleksandra Krunić. She closed the year by reaching the quarterfinals at the Japan Open. Keys maintained a steady ranking inside the top 50 throughout the year and finished the season at No. 31 in the world.