Australian Open: Madison Keys beats Iga Swiatek in thrilling semi-final to book Arina Sabalanka final | Tennis news
Madison Keys beat four-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek in a deciding tie-break to set up a thrilling semi-final clash and book a meeting with world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenko in the Australian Open final on Saturday.
Keys, seeded 19, cruised to a 5-7 6-1 7-6 (10-8) victory in a two-hour, 35-minute epic against the world number two, saving a match point along the way before claiming an unforgettable victory 10 minutes after midnight.
Swiatek, who dropped just 14 games during her run to the semi-finals in Melbourne, quickly took control of the contest as she broke Keys three times in a row early on – atoning for losing her own serve on several occasions.
But the first sign of trouble for the Pole came when she missed a backhand down the line on set point for another break. Instead, Keys held for the first time and immediately broke Swiatek in the next game to restore parity.
Swiatek eventually closed out the set, happily seizing her second set point after Keys’ serve to take the first 7-5 and avoid the need for a tie-break.
But far from being down in two sets, Keys roared back into the match in the second set which she took 6-1 – Swiatek just narrowly avoiding being “bageled” for the first time since 2021.
It was Keys, the 2017 US Open finalist, who looked stronger, dictating the game – as Swiatek usually does successfully – with a combination of fearsome groundstrokes and fine footwork.
Swiatek, on the other hand, looked more and more unsure and nervous and, after a tricky start to the third set, looked like she was in trouble when Keys grabbed two break points at 4-3.
But the four-time Grand Slam champion showed all her determination to save both, take the game and then go 0-40 up on Keys’ serve for three of her break points – only for her fiery opponent to come out swinging and save all three as she pushes back ahead in the decider.
Swiatek would again lead 0-40 in Keys’ next service game and, after the American again struggled to save the first two, Swiatek would this time win the third for what appeared to be a crucial break.
It’s not like that. Keys saved a match point in the next game before a nervy double fault from Swiatek sent the contest into a deciding 10-point tie-break, which Keys would eventually emerge victorious from – despite trailing for much of the match.
Sabalenka in the final as she eyes her third consecutive title
Sabalenka secured passage to the final of the Australian Open for the third consecutive year with a dominant 6-4 6-2 victory over Paul Bados.
The 2023 and 2024 Melbourne champion, Sabalenka looked in ominous form at Rod Laver Arena in a crushing victory against Spain’s Badosa.
In a meeting between two great friends off the court, Badosa actually broke Sabalenka first and took a 2-0 lead in the first set as the top seed made a series of unforced errors.
From that point on, Sabalenka exploded into life, however, with her power coming to the fore and dominating most aspects as she took four games in a row to break Badosa twice and take a 4-2 lead – the first break coming after going down 40 -0 and the second recorded in the fourth attempt within the marathon game.
Badosa managed to hold two more times in the set, returning to her strong serve, but was unable to trouble Sabalenkina as the latter won the first set 6-4 via ace.
In the second, Sabalenka broke Badosa in the third game as the Spaniard double-faulted twice and appeared to be losing faith.
Sabalenka’s controlled strength left Badosa powerless to respond as she was broken again despite coming out on top in her next service game, trailing 5-1 when Sabalenka again held.
Serving to stay in the semi-finals, Badosa delivered strong serves and a beautiful backhand to stay in the match, but only managed to delay the inevitable as Sabalenka proved too strong in the next game to finish things off.
Sabalenka got “chills” because of three consecutive victories
“I got chills,” Sabalenka said in her on-court interview about the possibility of winning a third consecutive Australian Open. “I am so proud of myself and my team that we have put ourselves in this situation.
“It’s a privilege. If I’m able to put my name in history, it will mean a lot – it will mean the world to me. I couldn’t even dream of it.
“I just wanted to win at least one Grand Slam. To get this opportunity is amazing. I’m going to go out and do my best in the final.”
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