Tiebreak drama: Keys finds the Swiatek key

The final of the Australian Open for women is set: Aryna Sabalenka will face surprise opponent Madison Keys on Saturday after she eliminated Poland's Iga Swiatek on Thursday.

23 January 2025

From: tu/dpa

Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys are playing for the title at the Australian Open. The world number one Sabalenka from Belarus won the semifinal against Spanish tennis player Paula Badosa 6:4, 6:2 and is just one win away from her targeted title hat-trick.

Shortly afterwards, the American Madison Keys followed her into the final in the Rod Laver Arena. The 29-year-old surprisingly won against the Polish world number two Iga Swiatek with 5:7, 6:1, 7:6 (10:8) and reached her first final at the Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne

After narrowly losing the first set, Keys found her rhythm in the second set and clearly dominated Swiatek 6:1. The decisive third set was a high-class duel in which both players showed their best tennis. Swiatek even had a match point at 6:5 in the third set, but Keys was able to fend it off with nerves of steel.

Swiatek missed a match point. © APA/afp / MARTIN KEEP

In the tie-break that followed, Keys kept the upper hand and secured the victory with 10:8. After the match, Keys was overjoyed: "I'm in the final," she said, beaming. Her impressive performance and mental strength at the decisive moment earned her a well-deserved place in the final of the 2025 Australian Open.

shopping offer after the match

"I'm sure she'll hate me for the next few hours, the whole day. That's okay, I can handle it," said Sabalenka after her victory over her very good friend Badosa: "If she sees that: I promise we'll go shopping and I'll pay for everything she wants."
At the end of the interview on the pitch, however, she added with a smile: "I will set a limit, because she can be crazy."

Sabalenka and Badosa are good friends. © APA/afp / ADRIAN DENNIS

In the final on Saturday, Sabalenka can triumph in Melbourne for the third time after 2023 and 2024. The last time this was achieved was by the Swiss Martina Hingis from 1997 to 1999.