Will probably be world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka vs. world No. 14 Madison Keys within the ultimate of the Australian Open on Saturday evening.
For a lot of the event–up till Thursday–it appeared like we’d see No. 1 vs. No. 2 within the championship match. Keys, nonetheless, 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’ means 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 likely be dealing with Sabalenka on Saturday. The American modified her serve, her racket, and her strings this previous offseason and to say that it has paid dividends thus far in 2025 can 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 checklist 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 current Brisbane winner is undefeated this yr 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 enjoying nice, however she has not confronted anybody ranked increased than twelfth at this event and he or she dropped one set to Pavlyuchenkova within the quarters.
Keys might be the one lady on the circuit who can go toe-to-toe with Sabalenka within the energy division. Now her psychological sport is catching up, too. The way in which she dealt with the semifinal in opposition to Swiatek reveals that she is able to tackle the stress of a slam ultimate–her first because the 2018 U.S. Open.
An upset is effectively inside motive.
Decide: Keys in 3
Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and in addition maintains his personal tennis web site, The Grandstand. You’ll be able to comply with him on Twitter at @Dimonator.
