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By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, January 23, 2025

 
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Madison Keys saved a match point at 5-6, sparking a shocking 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(8) upset of Iga Swiatek to set up an AO final vs. Aryna Sabalenka.

Photo credit: Darrian Traynor

The writing was on the wall as Madison Keys faced match point in the final set of this brilliant battle.

Responding with wrecking ball forehand and warrior mindset, Keys rewrote the plot scripting the most inspired comeback of her career.

Mad World: Keys Stops Svitolina for Third AO Semifinal

A courageous Keys saved match point at 5-6 shocking second-seeded Iga Swiatek 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(8) in a pulsating and wild comeback win that propels her into her first Australian Open final.



It took bold, breathtaking tennis from Keys to complete the most captivating comeback of her career.

On match point, Keys drew one final error from Swiatek, dropped to her knees and shed tears of joy before rising with a wide smile toward husband and coach Bjorn Fratangelo.

“Still trying to catch up to everything that’s happened,” Keys told Casey Dellacqua in her on-court interview. “Yeah, I’m in the finals!

“I mean that match was just high level and she played so well and I felt I was just fighting to stay in it and then obviously really kind of ran with the second.

“And the third was just a battle. To be able to be standing here and be in the final is absolutely amazing and I’m so excited that I get to be in the final here on Saturday.”



Swiatek cited Keys' bravery as the difference in this drama.

"This match was long, so it had many different changes of momentum and many different moments that I could describe," Swiatek told the media in Melbourne. "I guess at the end Madison, like, was kind of brave with her decisions, and she pushed me when she needed to.

"Yeah, I would say I wasn't feeling as free as on previous matches to also push in the important moments."

It was Keys’ 11th consecutive victory—she’s now 7-0 in three-setters this season and owns a WTA-best 13-1 record on the young year—as she denied Swiatek her maiden AO major and a shot to regain world No. 1.

Ten years after her first AO semifinal, eight years after her lone Grand Slam final loss to good friend Sloane Stephens in the 2017 US Open final and just a few months after she celebrated “the happiest day of my life” marrying long-time partner Fratangelo, Keys will face world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday’s final.

The top-seeded Sabalenka stopped buddy Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-2 in tonight’s first semifinal scoring her 20th consecutive AO win. Sabalenka, who has beaten Keys in four of five meetings, is playing to become the first woman since legendary Martina Hingis (1997-1999) to capture three consecutive Australian Open championships.

Tennis Express

The 29-year-old Keys is the first woman since her tennis hero, Venus Williams in 2017, to lose the opening set of an AO semifinal and comeback to win and reach the final.

It wasn’t easy, but it sure was an astounding match to watch unfold and will go down in AO history as a semifinal for the ages.

“I feel like even though I lost the first set I felt like I was playing some better tennis at the end of it and I felt like I had some momentum going into the second set,” Keys said. To be able to kind of run with that second set and really just settle was really nice.

“And then in the third set it was just so up and down so many big points and break point chances neither one of us got. I feel like I blacked out at some point and I was out there running around. I was able to stay in it keep fighting and then 10 point tiebreaker for extra dramatic finish.”

Five-time major champion Swiatek carried a streak of 31 straight service holds into her second AO semifinal and was bidding for her first final since she won Roland Garros last June.

None of that mattered to Keys, who crunched her signature shot—the fierce forehand—to break twice in a row right out of the box.

Keys managed her backhand wisely and hit her forehand menacingly. Keys hit 36 winners
—14 more than Swiatek—and a few times actually knocked the Pole backward nearly to her knees with the pace of a few crackling forehands. The three-time semifinalist Keys converted eight of 16 break points against the world No. 2. 

The good news for Keys: Swiatek had only lost serve twice the entire tournament and the American matched it through two service games.

The bad news: Keys could not consolidate then wacked a wild forehand miss down the line as Swiatek surged through her third game in a row for 4-2.

Tournament referee Wayne Mckewen came out on court telling both players the retractable roof over Rod Laver Arena would be closing.

The 2022 US Open champion has an edge in backhand-to-backhand exchanges and imposed it. Swiatek scored her fourth straight game stretching her lead to 5-2.

The 19th-seeded Keys denied a set point at 30-40 to hold for the first time in this semifinal, staying within touching distance at 3-5.

Serving for the set, Swiatek fell into a triple break point hole as Keys was controlling the center of the court and pushing the Pole to the perimeter. When a Swiatek backhand collided into the tape and popped over the net, Keys pounced pounding a crosscourt backhand to convert her third break for 4-5.

Pros are as human as hackers and Keys showed it badly bungling a smash from almost on top of the net. It was a horror-show miss that might make a beginner cringe in sympathy.




Showing resilience, Keys shook it off and came right back ripping one of her heaviest forehand winners down the line holding for 5-all and screaming “Come on!” in celebration.

Steadying herself, Swiatek stamped her first love hold for 6-5.

The 2017 US Open finalist was two points from a tiebreaker at 30-15, but Swiatek punctured that lead pounding a series of backhand drives scoring her fourth break of the set to snatch a one-set lead after 49 minutes.

Though Keys won five games—Swiatek had only permitted 14 games all tournament—she dropped serve four times, won just 3 of 11 second-serve points and was getting beaten by the Pole’s flat and forcing two-handed backhand.

Resetting, Keys came right back to earn her fourth break to start the second set. Keys drew a netted drive backing up the break for a 2-0 second-set lead.

Reading the Swiatek serve, Keys cut off the angle from the doubles alley and swept a forehand return winner for another break point. Keys coaxed a wild forehand to surge to the double-break 3-0 lead.

Bringing the heat on serve, Keys cranked three consecutive aces then drew an errant backhand wrapping a love hold for 4-0. Keys was striking with conviction winning 16 of 19 points in set.

A rattled Swiatek stared at her box in surprise, but could not stop the bleeding. A brilliant Keys blistered a return right through the middle rattling out her third break in a row for a 5-0 lead.

Serving at 1-5 a rattled Swiatek double faulted to face triple set point.

On her third set point, Keys again blasted a deep return through the center of the court to close the set and force a decider after 76 minutes of play.




An overwhelmed Swiatek won just six of 22 points on serve and lost serve four times as a commanding Keys dominated that second set. Swiatek, who had dropped serve just twice in five prior matches, was broken seven times through two sets and looked unsure of herself.

After about a five-and-a-half minute break, the third set began with Swiatek holding up Keys’ serve to take a series of vicious shadow swings as if she was both slowing the American while sending a statement of intent.

Undaunted, Keys banged a backhand winner to open the final set with a hold.

The 14th-ranked Keys carried a 6-0 record in three-setters this season into the final set. Swiatek tomahawked a smash holding to level the final set, 1-all.

Three-time AO semifinalist Keys saved a break point and scalded a series of forehands to hold for 3-2.

A calm Keys denied break point holding for 4-3 then immediately put the screws to Swiatek going up love-30 in the eighth game.

The Roland Garros champion was in position for a smash, but hit it wide handing Keys double break point. Swiatek saved the first break point with a wide serve. On the second break point, Swiatek slickly soaked up the pace from a crackling return then drew a backhand error for deuce.

From 15-40 down, Swiatek targeted the American’s backhand winning four points in a row to level the dramatic decider, 4-all.

Though Keys had been five points from the final, she was reeling from lost opportunity spiraling through seven points in a row as Swiatek gained triple break point. Keys landed three first serves to fight off all three break points, including a short forehand from Swiatek she smothered in net.

An electric point saw Keys fire a forehand down the line, but Swiatek got to it and won a rousing 18-shot rally with a clean pass for break point No. 4. Keys saved it then lasered a forehand down the line. Fighting off a return, a bold Keys flicked a forehand winner holding for 5-4 with a screaming “Come on!”



Flashing a forehand winner brought Keys to 15-30 in the 10th game—two points from the final. Sweeping a backhand pass down the line, Swiatek held for 5-all.

A sweeping Swiatek forehand swing volley and Keys’ fourth double fault put the Pole in a triple break point lead. Though Keys saved two break points, she bunted a timid drop shot that sat up, Swiatek swooped in and smacked a winner down the line to break for 6-5.

A tiring Keys netted a backhand to give Swiatek a match point.

On this night, a fearless Keys wasn’t going down without a fight.

Credit Keys for not holding back and drilling a return through the middle for deuce.

Another angled return from Keys elicited a break point. A tight Swiatek blinked and double faulted. Her sixth double faulted gifted the game, propelling this drama into a 10-point match tiebreaker.



Tension spiked as Swiatek went up 7-5 in the tiebreaker.

Showing supreme athleticism, Swiatek made a full-stretch forehand stab volley for an 8-7 lead.

Playing with taping wrapping her left thigh, Keys did not unravel.

A calm Keys cracked her seventh ace out wide to level at 8-all. The Keys forehand was fire when she needed it and she smartly attacked Swiatek’s forehand drawing two final errors then dropping to her knees in pure joy.

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Working with new coach Wim Fissette, Swiatek showed familiar ruthless form until tonight as she lost to a powerful American. It was Swiatek's second AO semifinal coming three years after a feisty Danielle Collins went full Danimal devouring Swiatek 6-4, 6-1 in the 2022 semifinals.

Iga said she's leaving Melbourne deeply disappointed by this defeat, while feeling an optimistic vibe for what lies ahead working with Coach Wim.

"For sure it gives me like, a positive vibe for the rest of the season," Swiatek said. "So yeah, obviously for sure I wanted more.

"I already played a semifinal. I wanted to win this one, but I think if I keep working hard, I'll have more chances in the future, and maybe I'll use them as I didn't use my match point today."

If you've followed Keys’ entire career, then you know from the time she upset Serena Williams as a 14-year-old in World TeamTennis play, many, champions including Hall of Famer Chrissie Evert, have touted her as a future Grand Slam champion.

Along the way, critics have called Keys “too nice”, “too nervous”, "too erratic" on the backhand wing to ever win a major. 

Tonight, Keys scored her third straight three-set win over a veteran—after beating former Top 10 player Elina Svitolina and former Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina—reached her first AO final and showed the world the depth of her competitive character.


 

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