It is going to be world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka vs. world No. 14 Madison Keys within the ultimate of the Australian Open on Saturday night time.
For a lot of the event–up till Thursday–it regarded like we might see No. 1 vs. No. 2 within the championship match. Keys, nevertheless, had one thing to say about that. She knocked off second seed and five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(10-8) in a dramatic semifinal, saving one match level on Swiatek’s personal serve within the course of.
Now the two-time defending Aussie Open champion stands in Keys’ approach of her first main title. It marks a sixth assembly between two of the most important hitters on the WTA Tour, with Sabalenka holding a 4-1 benefit within the head-to-head sequence. Their most memorable matchup has come within the 2023 U.S. Open semifinals, when Keys served for a straight-set win and in addition led by a break within the third set solely to succumb 0-6, 7-6(1), 7-6(10-5).
This can be a new and improved Keys that will probably be going through Sabalenka on Saturday. The American modified her serve, her racket, and her strings this previous offseason and to say that it has paid dividends to date in 2025 could be a gross understatement. She is 13-1 with a title in Adelaide and victories this fortnight over Ann Li, Elena Gabriela Ruse, Danielle Collins, Elena Rybakina, Elina Svitolina, and Iga Swiatek. That listing of felled foes options an Australian Open finalist (Collins), a Wimbledon champion (Rybakina), a former world No. 3 (Svitolina), and a five-time slam champ (Swiatek).
Sabalenka can be on hearth. The latest Brisbane winner is undefeated this 12 months and her title protection in Melbourne has seen her defeat Sloane Stephens, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, Clara Tauson, Mirra Andreeva, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and Paula Badosa. Sabalenka is taking part in nice, however she has not confronted anybody ranked larger than twelfth at this event and he or she dropped one set to Pavlyuchenkova within the quarters.
Keys might be the one girl on the circuit who can go toe-to-toe with Sabalenka within the energy division. Now her psychological recreation is catching up, too. The best way she dealt with the semifinal towards Swiatek exhibits that she is able to tackle the strain of a slam ultimate–her first for the reason that 2018 U.S. Open.
An upset is effectively inside purpose.
Decide: Keys in 3
Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and in addition maintains his personal tennis web site, The Grandstand. You possibly can observe him on Twitter at @Dimonator.
