▁final ▁of ▁the ▁Italian ▁Open , ▁the ▁first ▁Premier ▁ 5 ▁final ▁of ▁Ke ys ' s ▁career . ▁Ke ys ▁entered ▁the ▁match ▁as ▁an ▁under dog , ▁given ▁that ▁Ser ena ▁had ▁a ▁ 1 5 ▁match ▁win ▁stre ak ▁against ▁other ▁Americans , ▁and ▁had ▁not ▁lost ▁to ▁another ▁American ▁in ▁a ▁final ▁since ▁W im ble don ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁against ▁her ▁sister . ▁Ser ena ▁preserved ▁both ▁of ▁those ▁stre aks ▁with ▁a ▁straight ▁sets ▁win . ▁ ▁Ke ys ▁vs . ▁Steph ens ▁and ▁V ande weg he ▁Ke ys ▁is ▁close ▁friends ▁with ▁Slo ane ▁Steph ens ▁and ▁Co Co ▁V ande weg he , ▁creating ▁a ▁friendly ▁rival ry ▁between ▁the ▁three ▁of ▁them . ▁They ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁grouped ▁together ▁as ▁the ▁leaders ▁of ▁the ▁next ▁generation ▁of ▁American ▁tennis . ▁In ▁particular ▁with ▁Steph ens , ▁Ke ys ▁has ▁said , ▁" S lo ane ▁and ▁I , ▁since ▁we ▁were ▁ 1 2 ▁and ▁ 1 4 , ▁have ▁constantly ▁been ▁compared ▁to ▁each ▁other ." ▁All ▁three ▁have ▁been ▁ranked ▁in ▁the ▁Top ▁ 1 0 ▁by ▁the ▁W TA . ▁Ke ys ▁is ▁ 1 – 4 ▁against ▁Steph ens , ▁but ▁is ▁ 3 – 0 ▁against ▁V ande weg he . ▁ ▁Ke ys ▁has ▁strugg led ▁against ▁Steph ens , ▁often ▁hitting ▁more ▁un for ced ▁errors ▁than ▁usual ▁in ▁their ▁matches . ▁These ▁mis c ues ▁have ▁resulted ▁from ▁Steph ens ▁being ▁able