Swiatek meets Navarro for a place in the semi-finals

MELBOURNE — We’re down to the four remaining players in the bottom half of the women’s draw at the Australian Open. World no. 2, Iga Swiatek, is looking for her first final in Melbourne, while Madison Keys, Elina Svitolina and Emma Navarro look set to seize their own moment in the spotlight.

Here’s an overview of Wednesday’s (Tuesday night in the US) two quarter-finals:

(2) Iga Swiatek vs. (8) Emma Navarro (Wednesday at 1 p.m.)

Head-to-head: Swiatek leads 1-0

Swiatek snapshot

Ranking: No. 2
Best Grand Slam result: Five-time champion (2020 Roland Garros, 2022 Roland Garros, 2022 US Open, 2023 Roland Garros, 2024 Roland Garros)
Best result in the Australian Open: Semi-Final (2022)

With a chance to leave Melbourne Park with the world no. 1 ranking, Swiatek has only lost 11 matches spread over four matches. It’s a particularly impressive run considering seven of them came in her first round match against Katerina Siniakova. She averages only 67 minutes on the court.

But the most remarkable thing about Swiatek’s fortnight so far has been the air of calm and joy. The tension that derailed her earlier has subsided. She opened the tournament and joked about her three-peat of third-round appearances here. Now she is one win away from her third hard-court Slam semi-final and second place at Melbourne Park.

No. 1 scenario: If Sabalenka falls before the semifinals, Swiatek will regain the No.1 ranking. If Swiatek reaches the semifinals, then Sabalenka must reach the final for a chance to hang on. Should Swiatek and Sabalenka meet in the final, the winner would leave Australia ranked No.1.

Outstanding Stats: Swiatek, 23, is the youngest player to reach 10 Grand Slam quarterfinals since Svetlana Kuznetsova at the 2009 Australian Open.

Expect the unexpected: “I don’t know what I expect. We kind of played in 2018, but I’m not going to count it here. I definitely have to treat Emma like a player I’ve never played because we both did huge great progress since the time we faced each other.

“Her journey has been pretty nice and amazing. I watched the US Open matches. She played really well and fought for every point and everything.”

Navarro snapshot

Ranking: No. 8
Best Grand Slam result: Semifinalist (2024 US Open)
Best result in the Australian Open: Quarter Final (2025)

When Swiatek and Navarro meet on Wednesday, it will be a matchup between the player with the fewest shutouts and least court time versus the player with the most. The 23-year-old American has advanced to his third straight Grand Slam quarter-final by winning four matches in three sets. She trailed Peyton Stearns 5-3 in the third set before rebounding to win in 3 hours 20 minutes. In the round of 16, she saw off Daria Kasatkina to win another thriller by the slimmest of margins.

Navarro hasn’t been at her best, but she’s found a way. These are the weeks that do wonders for a player’s confidence and composure.

This will be the first tour-level meeting between Swiatek and Navarro. Their only match came nearly seven years ago at an ITF 80K held in Navarro’s hometown. Location no. 412, Swiatek breezed past Navarro, 6-2, 6-0. Both were teenagers, but Navarro was ranked outside the Top 1000.

“When I look back on my tennis career, I feel like there weren’t too many times where I was completely blown off the court, and I was definitely blown off the court when I played her,” Navarro said. “I think at the time she was maybe ranked 200 or something. We were playing at my home club in Charleston. I was like, Wow, this girl is pretty good.

“The circumstances are definitely different now. I also feel like I’m pretty good.”

Outstanding Stats: Navarro is the second player in the Open Era to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals by winning four three-setters in the first four rounds after Jelena Dokic in 2009.

To settle: “I think I used to look at the Grand Slams as a little bit more than they are, I guess, and I never really felt comfortable at the Grand Slams until probably the US Open. I kind of thought after the match today, that when I reached the quarterfinals of the US Open. , I felt like, wow, that’s pretty crazy, but now, being in the quarterfinals here in Australia, it feels like this is where I’m supposed to be, I feel like it is what I’ve been preparing for and planning.”

(19) Madison Keys vs. (28) Elina Svitolina (Wednesday at 11.30am)

Head-to-head: Keys lead 3-2

Snapshot of keys

Ranking: No. 14
Best Grand Slam result: Finalist (2017 US Open)
Best result in the Australian Open: Two-time semi-finalist (2015, 2022)

After a dominant run to the title in Adelaide, Keys leads the tour with 11 wins this year and is quietly marching back towards the Top 10. Ever since returning to the tour after an injury layoff last spring, Keys has brought a new outlook to her game and her future in it. That positive outlook has been aided by her husband and coach, former ATP player Bjørn Fratangelo, who has helped Keys update her equipment to deliver more consistent strokes with less wear and tear on her body.

Armed with a new racket setup, better service moves and – if you can believe it – a more aggressive mindset, Keys is blasting her way through the opposition. She has already collected two Top 10 wins this year, first over Jessica Pegula in the Adelaide final and then a solid three-set win over Elena Rybakina in the Round of 16. She also picked up a win over no. 11, Danielle Collins in the third. round.

Keys leads the head-to-head series with Svitolina, but this will be a new chapter in their rivalry. The two have not faced each other since Svitolina returned from maternity leave. Since then, the Ukrainian wizard has moved from a more defensive, counterpunching style to more aggressive baseline tennis.

“I think it’s kind of an evolution of all of us as we get older and try to make some changes, and if you’re not successful, maybe you should adapt,” Keys said. “I mean, honestly, I was so impressed. She really went for it (against Jasmine Paolini) and really went for her shots and hit some incredible forehands. I think it’s definitely not going to be the typical matchup that we’ve had earlier, I’ll definitely have to watch some of her because it wasn’t vintage Svitolina playing.

Outstanding Stats: Since 2015, only Serena Williams (16) and Simona Halep (13) have reached more Women’s Singles Grand Slam quarterfinals than Elina Svitolina (12) and Madison Keys (11).

Like a fine wine: “I don’t know if when I started I thought I’d be almost 30 and still be playing at the level that I’m playing and maybe even playing better than I’ve ever played. That’s something I certainly don’t er. take it for granted and kind of just try to roll with it, and you know, just show some of these young people that they have many, many, many years left.”

Svitolina snapshot

Ranking: No. 27
Best Grand Slam result: Three-time semi-finalist (2019 Wimbledon, 2019 US Open, 2023 Wimbledon)
Best result in the Australian Open: Three-time quarter-finalist (2018, 2019, 2025)

Remarkably, in her first tournament since undergoing foot surgery in September, Svitolina pounded her way into her first hard-court Grand Slam quarter-final since returning from maternity leave in 2023. Her signature win came in the third round with a 2- 6, 6 -4, 6-0 victory over no. 4 Jasmine Paolini. It was Svitolina’s first Top 5 win on a hard court in over five years.

It’s amazing what a healthy body can do. Last year, Svitolina endured a series of injuries before finally undergoing the first surgery of her career. She regrets waiting as long as she did.

“My first two rounds were really, really crazy at the US Open. To be fair, I don’t even know how I won them. The first match I was in so much pain, I couldn’t walk the next day, so I didn’t practice at all. I had to have a procedure with the doctors to drain the cyst out of my foot, maybe it’s stupid or I don’t know.

“I just want to play. I want to compete. I feel like I’m playing well. I feel good on the court, so I want to keep going. But sometimes my body won’t let me.”

With an eye on protecting her body, Svitolina opted out of playing a lead-in tournament before Melbourne. The decision was smart. She has looked fresh and sharp through her four matches. Now we’ll see if she can go power-for-power against Keys.

Outstanding Stats: In the Open Era, Svitolina (70.3%, 102-43) has the second-highest women’s singles win rate at Grand Slams of any player not to reach a Grand Slam final, behind only Manuela Maleeva (72.0%).

Spirit of Ukraine: “This fighting spirit that I have is completely Ukrainian spirit that I try to show, that I also try to represent. Especially now these days are very difficult days for Ukraine. It has been almost three years since the war started. Of course ., on a daily basis it is a very heavy backpack that all Ukrainians carry, for me it is definitely to find a way to win battles, to find a way to bring some light, a small victory for Ukrainians. something that I feeling responsible is the least I can do.