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After watching top seed Jasmine Paolini fall at the first hurdle versus Tatjana Maria in the day's first match, Keys – who is seeded second – avoided a similar fate.

She will face Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the round of 16, having come through a good test in just over an hour-and-a-half.

Keys could have lost her way when, after getting the first break of the encounter five games into the opening set, she immediately lost her next service game to love.

But the former Australian Open champion dusted herself down to break again at the very next attempt, and she later secured the opening set with a booming love hold.

A break in the opening game of the second gave Keys the advantage again, and that was to be the only one in the set, with Gibson missing three opportunities to get it back on serve.

Keys wasted one match point against the serve, but she would not be denied with the ball in hand as she booked her spot in the next round.