Australian Open: Madison Keys stuns Iga Swiatek in thrilling semi-final to book Aryna Sabalanka meeting in final

Madison Keys comes through 5-7 6-1 7-6 (10-8) in two-hour-and-35-minute epic semi-final against four-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek; world No 1 and two-time defending Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka powers past Paula Badosa 6-4 6-2 to book spot in third-straight final

Madison Keys beat four-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek in a deciding tie-break to edge a thrilling semi-final clash and book a meeting with world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the Australian Open on Saturday.

Keys, seeded 19th, came through 5-7 6-1 7-6 (10-8) in the two-hour-and-35-minute epic against the world No 2, saving a match point along the way before clinching a memorable victory 10 minutes past midnight.

Swiatek, who had dropped only 14 games through her run to the semi-finals in Melbourne, quickly took control of the contest as she broke Keys three straight times to start – making amends for losing her own serve on a couple of occasions.

But, the first sign of trouble for the Pole came when she missed a backhand down the line on set point for yet another break. Instead, Keys held for the first time and immediately broke Swiatek in the subsequent game to restore parity.

Swiatek did eventually close out the set, gleefully snapping up her second set point opportunity off the Keys serve to take the opener 7-5 and avoid the need for a tie-breaker.

Swiatek, in turn, looked increasingly tentative and agitated and, after a cagey start to the third set, she looked in trouble as Keys eked out two break points at 4-3 up.

But the four-time Grand Slam champion showed all her resolve to save both, take the game, and then race into a 0-40 lead on Keys’ serve for three break points of her own – only for her fired-up opponent to come out swinging and save all three as she again nudge ahead in the decider.