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Keys sent down 14 aces and won 84.8% of her first serve points
in a dominant performance as she wrapped up the win in an hour
17 minutes.
The American got off to a rip-roaring start, breaking
Svitolina's serve twice in the first four games of the match to
race into a 4-0 lead, before closing out a strong opening set
with a couple of comfortable service holds.
The 87th-ranked Keys kept her foot planted on the gas in the
second set, forcing Svitolina to defend a break point in the
first game and then breaking minutes later to take a 2-1 lead,
which she rode on to take the set 6-4.
"I'm pretty happy with that. My returning was the biggest part
of my game tonight, it's what helped me get ahead," Keys said.
"I'm trying to make myself live in the moment a little more.
Last year I got a little too wrapped up in winning and losing
and wasn't loving playing tennis as much."
Czech sixth seed Marketa Vondrousova fought back from a set down
to beat Viktorija Golubic 5-7 6-4 6-3 and set up a clash against
Croatia's Ana Konjuh.
In the men's Adelaide ATP 250 event, Spaniard Jaume Munar made
light work of local John Millman, breaking the Australian's
serve twice in both the first and the second set for a 6-2 6-2
win.
"I used to play more on clay in tournaments, but I have
practised a lot on hard courts when I was young and I like it,"
said Munar, who reached the quarter-finals of the Melbourne
Summer Set last week.
"In recent years maybe I've not played very well on hard courts,
but I think tonight was one of my best performances on this
surface."
Earlier on Monday, American seventh seed Frances Tiafoe was
defeated 6-2 6-3 by compatriot Tommy Paul.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in BengaluruEditing by Christian
Radnedge)
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