Keys picks the lock to final eight once again
MADISON Keys’ strong start to the 2025 calendar year has continued, after the American upset Elena Rybakina to move through to the quarter finals for the fourth time at the Australian Open.
The tournament’s 19th seed won the first set, had a dip in the second then came back hard in the third to win 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.
Keys first made this stage of the Australian Open 10 years ago as a teenager, but is grateful to still be playing at such a level all these years later.
“It’s hard to believe that it was ten years ago,” grinned Keys. “To still be out here and playing some good tennis all these years later, I’m really happy.”
Despite Rybakina faring much better than Keys in terms of percentage of wins off her first serve (74 per cent to 61), Keys evened it out with a much better percentage of her first serves in (70 per cent to 55).
Where Keys separated herself was in both the winners (27 to 22) and unforced errors (31 to 38), while also owning a much higher percentage of break points than her higher-ranked Kazakh opponent, winning 56 per cent of her opportunities compared to Rybakina’s 31.
Keys’ next opponent is Elina Svitolina, who defeated Veronika Kudermetova yesterday to reach her first Australian Open quarter final since 2019.
“[It’s a] really amazing feeling to go deep in these kinds of tournaments, in the Grand Slams, is always extra special,” Svitolina said post match.
In a match where the Ukrainian smashed five aces to none, Svitolina won most of the key categories regarding serving, and also finished with about half the unforced errors her opponent did.
Yesterday’s other winners had contrasting levels of difficulty in their matches. Iga Swiatek did not take long to get past Eva Lys, while Emma Navarro was made to work for her win over Daria Kasatkina in a three-set slog.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN WOMEN’S RESULTS: JANUARY 20
E. Svitolina (28) defeated V. Kudermetova 6-4, 6-1
I. Swiatek (2) defeated E. Lys (LL) 6-0, 6-1
M. Keys (19) defeated E. Rybakina (6) 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
E. Navarro (8) defeated D. Kasatkina (9) 6-4, 5-7, 7-5
Keys picks the lock to final eight once again
MADISON Keys’ strong start to the 2025 calendar year has continued, after the American upset Elena Rybakina to move through to the quarter finals for the fourth time at the Australian Open. The tournament’s 19th seed won the first set, had a dip in the second then came back hard in the third to win […]
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