No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Madison Keys set for Australian Open final

American Madison Keys shocked No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek to crash the Australian Open women's final, where top-seeded, two-time defending champ Aryna Sabalenka awaits on Saturday.

Keys dropped the opening set 7-5 before rolling off 6-1 and 7-6 (8) wins to eliminate the five-time major champion in the semifinals Thursday in Melbourne.

The No. 19 seed reached the final of a Grand Slam for the first time since she finished runner-up at the 2017 U.S. Open to Sloane Stephens.

Swiatek held serve and a 6-5 advantage in the third set. Instead, a double fault break opened the door for Keys in a tiebreak. She held firm in the first-to-10 sudden death decider despite trailing 8-7, taking three points to reach the final at Rod Laver Arena.

Keys, 29, said in her post-match interview on the court that she felt like she "blacked out" and had to ask whether Swiatek had a match point.

"Yeah. I'm still trying to catch up to everything that's happening. I'm in the finals. Wooo!" she said. "I feel like I blacked out. At one point, I was just out there running around."

Up next for Keys is a monumental challenge against the most dominant player in this tournament field.

Sabalenka is 3-1 all-time against Keys, most recently taking a three-set victory in the semifinals of the 2023 U.S. Open.

The Belarusan reigning champion can claim her third consecutive Australian Open title if she solves Keys on Saturday. Sabalenka defeated 11th seed Paula Badosa of Spain in 6-4 6-2 in straight sets and left her Spanish counterpart and good friend in awe. Sabalenka had lost only 14 games in her first five matches.

"She played the best match, not even of the week, from the last months for sure. So if she plays like this, I mean we can already give her the trophy," Badosa said of Sabalenka.

Badosa gained a 3-0 advantage in the first set before Sabalenka, the first female to reach three consecutive finals at Melbourne Park since Serena Williams in 2017, found her groove.

"Somehow I was able to turn around the game in that crucial game," Sabalenka said. "That was a super tough match against a friend, super happy for her, to see her on her highest level.

"I'm sure she'll hate me for the next day or two, I'm OK with that, I can handle that. And after that, I think we're back to be friends, back to go out together shopping. I promise, Paula, we go shopping and I pay for whatever she wants."

Said Badosa, meeting the media moments later, "it's going to be something really expensive."

--Field Level Media