Iga Świątek (2nd) and Madison Keys (14th) entered the center court in Melbourne just after the match between Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa – the Belarusian won the first semi-final. For the Pole, the clash with Keys was supposed to be the most difficult challenge so far at this year’s Australian Open. Not just because of the stakes.
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Until this match, the American had recorded a series of 10 victories in a row. At the beginning of January, she was the best in the WTA 500 event in Adejalda, where she defeated strong rivals – including: Jessica Pegula, Jelena Ostapenko and Daria Kasatkina. In recent days, in the Grand Slam, she eliminated, for example, Jelena Rybakina and Danielle Colins.
The Pole stormed through subsequent AO matches, but in the semi-finals she faced a fast-paced opponent who also impresses with her excellent return. In this situation, it seemed from the beginning of the match that Świątek’s pass might be crucial in the whole match. She needed the first serve to push Keys away from the court, which we saw in the first minutes of the game.
Service is the key to Iga Świątek
That’s why, at the beginning, the American defeated the Polish woman twice. She played as expected – very strong and flat, and she was moving forward. At the same time, however, she was unable to repeat it in her own games, which is why Świątek returned to the game twice.
Our Tennis player made several double service faults – this was the result of the risk she had to take, because a more delicate second serve would immediately be met with an aggressive response from Keys. And when the Pole started to use the first pass better – not only strongly, but simply deeper, more accurate, to the body or with greater rotation – she immediately beat the American.
It was 3:2, and after a few minutes it was 5:2 for Świątek. Keys made further mistakes, and even when she hit more accurately, she still lost points because the Pole looked great in defense. She got to every ball, there was no way to end the rally with her.
So why did it suddenly go from 5-2 to 5-5 in the first set? To the American’s credit, she started hitting harder again and so precisely that our tennis player was not able to save herself even with a dedicated defense. Her serve didn’t help her again, but it came back after a while – in the most important moment of the set.
Dangerous Returns Keys
The 11th game was a great display by Świątek in terms of serving. Various serves: sometimes flat, sometimes lighter, or more precisely, a sharp serve, surprising for the opponent. She connected on the first pass and skillfully pushed Keys away from the end line. She won the first set 7:5.
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The serve was still the key, which was confirmed from the beginning of the second set. The American returned the ball easily, sending the winner several times directly after the Pole’s pass. This stimulated her game and suppressed our tennis player. In addition, Świątek made another double service error. The Pole risked not to play lighter, but she missed.
And from share to share, Keys’ advantage grew. The American, feeling comfortable in Świątek’s service games, could afford to take more risks. And that’s when she started hitting virtually every shot, from every position. Impressive considering his aggressive playing style and punching power.
Emotions until the end
The third set was an extremely fierce fight in which emotions played the main role. In such a situation, effective service is even more valuable. Our tennis player returned to serving better – in her first game she served, for example, to the body, which surprised her opponent. In the third time, the American again didn’t know what to do. – First of all, let’s see how well Iga passed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Keys positioning herself and played her forehand – analyzed Eurosport commentator Dawid Celt.
With the score at 3:4, Świątek found herself in trouble. The opponent had two chances to break, but the Pole defended brilliantly with a pass. First, she miraculously threw the American away, sending another serve to her body, and finally, Keys made a mistake with the return. This is how Świątek got out of big trouble.
In an extremely close ending, in the last games, both tennis players had a chance to win faster, but in the end they fought with razor blades. In the tie-break, Świątek was slightly ahead for a long time, leading, among others, 7:5 and 8:7. However, Keys then responded with an ace and the winning pass! The American had the match ball at 9:8 and Świątek’s serve. The second-ranking player threw another forehand. And she lost.
– My serve is sometimes unstable – said the Pole a few weeks ago in an interview with Canal+ Sport. On Thursday, in the semifinals, her serve was wavy for most of the match, and at the end of the match it was not at its best level. And that’s why Madison Keys will play for the first time in the final of the Australian Open, where she will face Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday.
