Madison Keys advanced to the Australian Open final for the first time in her career after defeating Poland's Iga Swiatek 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(8) in the second semifinal of the women's draw. In Saturday's title showdown, Keys will face world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who defeated Paula Badosa in the other semifinal.
The match was very even and full of twists, with the two separated by a contested deciding tiebreak, in which Keys took the last three points to prevail 10-7. In the first set, second-seeded Swiatek was more active at the end to prevail 7-5. The American responded appropriately in the second half and pulled ahead 5-0 before winning 6-1.
The third set was the most even and with many exchanges of game advantage, but Swiatek was the first to break and lead 6-5. On her own serve, the five-time Grand Slam champion had one match point, but she failed to convert it and Keys returned the break. In the long tiebreak, Swiatek had a lead of 7-5 and 8-7, but Keys showed character and eventually won after two hours and 35 minutes.
The American was more aggressive throughout the match and finished with 36 winners against 41 unforced errors, while Swiatek's balance was 22/40.
Thus, Madison Keys qualified for the second Slam final of her career (after the US Open 2017). She will try to win her first Big Four title, while fellow finalist Sabalenka is chasing a third consecutive title in Melbourne. | BGNES
