By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Monday, January 20, 2025
Madison Keys upset Elena Rybakina 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals, 10 years after her run to the AO semifinals.
Photo credit: Quinn Rooney/Getty
Declarative strikes gave Elena Rybakina the final word in second-set rallies.
Madison Keys’ inner dialogue proved invaluable inspiration to close a quality victory.
More: Svitolina KOs Kudermetova
Blown out in the second set, Keys made a spirited stand to start the final set firing past Elena Rybakina 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 to battle into the Australian Open quarterfinals for the fourth time in 11 appearances at Melbourne Park.

A committed Keys saved five of six break points in the decider, including denying four break points in her first service game of the final set. Keys caught fire on return, breaking the tournament leader in service games won five times in a one hour, 49-minute win.
Ten years after Keys made her maiden major semifinal debut in Melbourne Park, she’s one win from a third trip to the final four.
“It’s hard to believe that it was 10 years ago that I made my first semifinal,” Keys said in her on-court interview. “But really proud of myself today.
“She raised her level in the second set and played some really good tennis. So to still be out here and be playing some good tennis all these years later, I’m really happy.”
Embracing change has helped Keys surge to a WTA-best 11-1 start to the season.
The newly-married Keys switched from her long-time Wilson Blade to a new Yonex stick in an effort to gain more spin and control over her heavy drives.
So far, so good. Keys tuned up for Melbourne winning the Adelaide championship and will face veteran Elina Svitolina for a spot in the AO final four.
The 30-year-old Svitolina charged 11 of the last 12 games rolling Russian Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 6-1 on Rod Laver Arena earlier today. Keys has won three of five meetings with Svitolina, but the Ukrainian won their lone prior AO meeting 6-2, 1-6, 6-1 in the 2019 round of 16.
Both Rybakina and Keys took the court today nursing some nagging aches and pains. Rybakina injured her lower back in her third-round win over Dayana Yastremska, while Keys wore heavy taping around her left thigh.
It was a confident Keys start.
The 19th-seeded Keys saved a break point in her opening service game then drew errors from Rybakina to break for 2-1.
Two-time semifinalist Keys smacked a forehand winner and an ace to back up the break for 3-1.
Shaking off successive double faults, Rybakina rapped an ace wide to hold in the fifth game.
Driving her forehand down the line, Keys played proactive tennis throughout the first set and exploited some surprising lapses from one of the game’s biggest servers.
Serving to extend the set, Rybakina spit up two double faults in a row again as Keys broke to take a one-set lead after 35 minutes.
“I think I really just had to focus on getting as many returns in play today,” Keys said. “Her serve is such a weapon.
“I was basically just trying to make anything I could get my racquet on back over the net, which worked sometimes. My return was obviously a really big part of my game today.”
Though Rybakina’s best tennis eluded her, she took advantage of Keys’ dip breaking to start the second set then saving a break point for a 2-0 second-set lead.
The 2022 Wimbledon winner was hitting her forehand with more purpose. Pummeling her forehand down the line helped Rybakina break again for 4-1.
A sharp Rybakina stamped a 77-second hold to consolidate for 5-1.
On her third set point, Rybakina drew a netted error to snatch the second set on a four-game run to force a decider after 66 minutes.
Two-time AO semifinalist Keys rocketed an 89 mph forehand winner down the line working through a punishing five-deuce game, saving three break points along the way, and level the decider, 1-all.
That gritty stand fired up Keys, who broke at 30 in the third game and stung some first serves backing up the break for a 3-1 lead.
The 2023 AO finalist Rybakina was hitting her returns down the line with vigor. On her second break point, Rybakina coaxed a netted error to break back.
Three crackling returns from Keys, including a clean backhand winner into the corner, banged out the critical break and a 4-3 lead.
Bjorn Fratangelo, Keys’ husband and coach, put an index finger under his chin reminding her to keep her head and chin up on serve. Keys cranked her fourth ace and fired a serve winner down the T extending to 5-3.
Reading the Rybakina serve, Keys flashed one final forehand winner to end it for her ninth consecutive victory.