Madison Keys outlasted Iga Swiatek in a thrilling three-set contest to reach the Australian Open final, where she will face two-time champion Aryna Sabalenka. (Full Coverage | More Tennis News)
Keys had t🐽o save match point in the deciding set before coming through a first-to-10 tie-break for a 5-7 6-1 7💮-6 (10-8) victory in two hours and 37 minutes at Rod Laver Arena.
Both players showed big-match nerves as they struggled on serve throughout the opening set, which began with four straight breaks before Swiatek seꦆcured the firs🃏t hold with a crashing volley five games in.
After finally holding💃 her serve at the fourth attempt, Keys battled from 5-2 down to 5-5, only for Sw🎃iatek to produce a smooth hold before breaking once again to take the lead.
However, it was Keys who settled quickest in the second set, reeling off five straight games as more mistakes crept into Swiatek's 🦄game✅.
The five-time grand slam champion 🦹made 10 unforced errors and double faulted twice as she lost the second set 6-1 in a rapid 27 minutes, only hitting three 🐻winners.
A long wait before the decider seemed to frustrate Keys, who continued to excel on her own serve once Swiatek returned from the l🤡ocker room, but the American squandered a huge opportunity at 4-3 up, failing to convert two break points.
It looked like that might prove costly when Swiatek broke with a wonderful passing winner to go 6-5 ahead before bringing up match point on her own serve. However, the Pole could only find the net and a subsequent double faul🐻t saw the match go to a deciding tie-break.
Keys stayed clo𒁏se enough to Swiatek throughout the tie-break, hitting two crisp forehand winners and a searing ace to take 💞it to 8-8, having previously been 7-5 behind. A miscued return and a long backhand from Swiatek then brought an end to her hopes of a first Australian Open crown, with Keys advancing to Saturday's final.
Data Debrief: Long wait over for Keys
Keys has had to be patient in her bid to return to this stage, having lost her only previous grand sla🍸m finꦛal in 2017 against compatriot Sloane Stephens at the US Open.
Her wait of eight years between her first two major finals is the longest recꦺorded b🍃y any woman in the Open Era, surpassing Amelie Mauresmo's seven-year gap.
Keys will hope that is a good omen༺. Mauresmo lost her first grand slam final at the Australian Open in 1999, only to win the Melbourne Park slam on her second showpiece appearance in 2006.
As for Swiatek, she ended the contesꦬt with zero aces and 22 winners, with seven double faults and an uncharacteristi🅷c 40 unforced errors. Her wait for a first AO final appearance goes on.
