Keys beats Swiatek to meet Sabalenka in Australian Open final

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – When Madison Keys finally completed her 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8) upset of the no. 2 Iga Swiatek in a high intensity, high quality Australian Open semifinal on Thursday night and saved a match point along the way, the 29-year-old American huddled on the court and put a hand on his white hat.

She found it hard to believe it all. The comeback. What Keys called an “extra dramatic finish.” The victory over five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek, who had been on the most dominant run at Melbourne Park for a dozen years. And now the chance to play in her second Grand Slam final, a long wait after being runner-up at the 2017 US Open.

“I’m still trying to catch up with everything that’s going on,” said the 19th-seeded Keys, who will face No. 1 Aryna Sabalenkathe two-time defending champion, for the trophy on Saturday. “I felt like I was just fighting to stay in it. … It was so up and down and so many big points.”

To be sure, Keys asked if Swiatek was indeed one point away from victory. Yes, Madison, she was, as she served at 6-5, 40-30, but missed a backhand into the net, then was eventually broken by a double fault, sending the contest to a first-to-10, win -for- two tiebreakers.

“I felt like I blacked out out there at one point,” Keys said, “and was out there running around.”

Whatever she did, it worked. Keys claimed more games in the semifinals than the 14 total that Swiatek lost in his five previous matches over the last two weeks.

Sabalenka beat a good friend Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-2 earlier Thursday. Sabalenka, a 26-year-old from Belarus, could become the first woman since 1999 to complete a threepeat.

“If she plays like this,” said the 11th-seeded Badosa, “I think we can already give her the trophy.”

Keys may have something to say about it.

Still, Sabalenka won her first major trophy at Melbourne Park in 2023and she has since added two more – in Australia a year ago and at the US Open September last year.

The last woman to reach three consecutive finals at the first Grand Slam of the year was Serena Williams, who won two from 2015-17. Martina Hingis was the most recent woman with a threepeat, doing it from 1997-1999.

“I have goosebumps. I’m so proud of myself,” Sabalenka said.

Swiatek had not lost a single service game since the first round, but was broken three times by Keys in the first set alone and eight times in total.

That included each of Swiatek’s first two serves, making it clear from the start that this was not going to be her usual kind of day. And while Swiatek took the opening set, she was overwhelmed in the second, trailing 5-0 before getting a match.

This was the magnificent Keys at her very best. She turns 30 next month, and at the suggestion of her coach, former player Bjørn Fratangelo — who also happens to be her husband — decided to try a new racket this season, an effort both to help her generate light power, but also to relieve some strain on her right shoulder.

It has certainly paid immediate dividends. Keys is now on an 11-match winning streak, including taking the title at a tune-up event in Adelaide.

She was good enough to get through this one, which was as tight as possible.

“In the end, I feel like we both struggled a little bit with some nerves. … It just became who can get the last point and who can be a little bit better than the other one,” Keys said. “And I’m glad it was me.”

Sabalenka, a 26-year-old from Belarus, trailed 2-0, 40 games early, but quickly figured things out, especially when Rod Laver Arena’s retractable roof was closed in the first set due to a drizzle. She straightened her punches and overpowered Badosa, who eliminated the no. 3 Coco Gauff to reach his first major semi-final.

“She started being very, very aggressive,” said Badosa, who considered retirement last year while dealing with a stress fracture in her back. “Everything worked.”

Sabalenka and Badosa did their best to avoid eye contact for most of the evening, whether they were up at the net for a coin toss or crossing paths in transition.

When their match was over, they met for a long hug.

Under Sabalenka’s interview in courtshe joked about taking Badosa – who at the time was sitting in an aisle with her head down – on a shopping spree to make up with her and pay for what the Spaniard wants.

Told what Sabalenka said, Badosa noted, “It’s going to be something really expensive.”

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Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich. More AP tennis: