Madison Keys looks for first major title at Australian Open, while Aryna Sabalenka hopes to ‘put my name into history’

Madison Keys wrote three short words on the camera lens after her victory against Iga Świątek at the Australian Open: “Oh my god.”

Madison Keys wrote three short words on the camera lens after her dramatic semifinal victory against Iga Świątek at the Australian Open: “Oh my god.” The American’s shock was plain for all to see, even before she had scribbled out those words on the face of the camera. When she sat down after the match, wiping tears away from her eyes, it was clear the size of her achievement was only just starting to dawn on her. This was arguably the biggest victory of Keys’ career, setting up her second appearance in a grand slam final and her first Down Under. To get there, she had saved a match point and triumphed in a nerve-wracking super tie-break against a player she had only ever beaten once before. Now on an 11-match winning run, Keys will have a chance to win a first grand slam title when she faces Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka in Melbourne on Saturday, with the match starting at 3:30 a.m. ET. “I’m still trying to come down and figure out where I am,” the 29-year-old told reporters after her pulsating, two-and-a-half-hour victory against five-time grand slam champion Świątek, who had only dropped 14 games on her way to the semifinals. Keys next faces a formidable opponent in Saturday’s final. Sabalenka, who defeated Spain’s Paula Badosa in the final four, could become the first woman in 26 years to win back-to-back-to-back Australian Open titles, on top of enhancing her status as the world No. 1.