American Madison Keys is in a Grand Slam final for the first time in eight years after holding off No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek, 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8) in the Australian Open semifinals.
She will face two-time defending Australian Open champion and world No. 1 ranked player Aryna Sabalenka, who beat Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-2 in her semifinal match.
Keys rallied back after saving a match point and being down in the third set tiebreaker against Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion, to advance to her first Grand Slam final since losing to Sloane Stephens in the 2017 U.S. Open. The 29-year-old Keys, seeded No. 19, played in her third straight three-set match and will vault back into the Top 10 of the WTA rankings next week.
Sabalenka has won 20 straight matches in Melbourne and is seeking to become the first woman to win three Australian Open titles in a row since 1999, when Martina Hingis pulled off the feat.
Sabalenka holds a 4-1 edge over Keys in their previous meetings. Their last meeting was at the China Open in October, with Sabalenka scoring a 6-4, 6-3 win in their Round of 16 match.
How Madison Keys reached the finals
Here is No. 19 seed Madison Keys’ path to her meeting with Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open:
First round: Def. Ann Li (USA) 6-4, 7-5
Second round: Def. qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse (ROU) 7-6 (1), 2-6, 7-5
Third round: Def. No. 10 Danielle Collins (USA) 6-4, 6-4
Fourth round: Def. No. 6 Elena Rybakina (KAZ) 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
Quarterfinals: Def. No. 28 Elina Svitolina (UKR) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Semifinals: Def. No. 2 Iga Swiatek (POL) 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8)
How Aryna Sabalenka reached the semifinals
Here is No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka’s path to her meeting with Madison Keys at the Australian Open:
First round: Def. Sloane Stephens (USA) 6-3, 6-2
Second round: Def. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (ESP) 6-3, 7-5
Third round: Def. Clara Tauson (DEN) 7-6 (7-5), 6-4
Fourth round: Def. (14) Mirra Andreeva 6-1, 6-2
Quarterfinals: Def. (27) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
Semifinals: Def. (11) Paula Badosa (ESP) 6-4, 6-2
How to watch Madison Keys vs. Aryna Sabalenka
Time: The match is scheduled to begin at 3:30 a.m. ET on Saturday (7:30 p.m. in Melbourne).
TV: It will be broadcast live on ESPN and will be available to stream online on ESPN+. You can also stream the match on Fubo, which is offering a free trial.
