Madison Keys defeats Swiatek in instant classic to reach Australian Open final
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Deep in the final set of one of the most extraordinary matches of her career, the violent, destructive ball striking of Madison Keys was still in full flow. From a set down, Keys had dragged herself back into the match by brutalising every tennis ball in sight. Then she had shown her gritty resilience throughout a desperately tight third set. Whenever Iga Swiatek tried to pull away, Keys somehow forced her way back in.
![[Iga Swiatek hits a shot against Madison Keys]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/768931493aae040d3ea2bfcac5786a820871d1f0/0_0_3118_2079/master/3118.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
One of the enduring questions surrounding Keys’ career has been whether she possesses the killer instinct and nerve to maintain her supreme shot-making under pressure in the biggest matches of her career. The answer has often been negative, but here Keys offered a supreme demonstration of her toughness as she saved a match point before emerging victorious in an instant classic, defeating a gritty Iga Swiatek to reach her first Australian Open final with a 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (8) win over the No 2 seed.
With one of the greatest victories of her 16-year career, Keys will contest the second grand slam final of her career against Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion and No 1 seed. Keys’ only other grand slam final came at the US Open in 2017, when she lost to her friend Sloane Stephens. Having triumphed at the Adelaide Open in the week before the Australian Open, Keys is now on an 11-match winning streak. Swiatek’s defeat means that Sabalenka will hold on to her No 1 ranking after the tournament.
It was always clear that Keys could seriously challenge Swiatek. She is one of the best servers in the world and one of the biggest ball strikers the sport has ever seen. As she showed when she defeated Swiatek on the lightning-fast hard courts of Cincinnati in 2022, Keys perfectly fits the profile of the type of player that has historically had success against Swiatek. She has the raw firepower to rush the Swiatek forehand and pummel her vulnerable second serve, while a supreme serving day can keep Swiatek’s return of serve at bay.
