Righto, Tumaini Carayol’s Keys-Swiatek report is here:
Which means that’s us done for today. Thanks all for your company – it’s been emotional – and join us again tomorrow for the men’s semis. But until then, go in peace.
In the other semi, it is, of course, hard to see Ben Shelton beating Jannik Sinner, but if his serve and forehand are firing, he can make it close, and once it is, anything can happen.
Tomorrow, then! We begin with Alexander Zverev v Novak Djokovic, the great unknown how fit the latter is. He looked great against Alcaraz, and though he didn’t hit today, who knows if he’s hurt or winding it up?
He did, though, expend an enormous amount of effort in seizing that win, and we don’t really know if he can deliver something similar again. If he does, he’s a really good chance of winning, but Zverev is in better form than Alcaraz and has a serve and backhand that are as good if not better than anything else in the game.
However Zverev is still to win a slam, has faltered both times he’s got close, and the challenge of beating Djokovic over five sets – something he’s never done before – might easily get big on him.
Chalé! Keys exchanges hugs with Eurosport’s Laura Robson, her old mucker, and that’s a lovely moment. She then explains she’s not yet back down to earth but will be by Saturday, and by the end was thinking just get any point you can, keep it close, and she felt if she could get the lead in the breaker, she’d be OK.
Then, asked about the moment she took in her chair, presumably parsing all that’s happened for her to get to this stage, she describes a roller coaster – “I’m going to cry again! I’ve worked so hard and to be here again just feels amazing.”
At that point she falters – she’s allowed now the match is over – so Robson dispenses another hug, then moves us on to the final.
Keys says she’s not thought about it yet but probably will in around 10 minutes. She knows Saba will hit some amazing shots so she needs to do the exact same and hopefully they’ll have a great match that isn’t three hours long. Er, I might be gone.
So to the final! I’m not sure how Keys beats Sabalenka, who hits it as hard and moves better, but one suggestion to be going on with: put the drop-shot away. Otherwise, she needs to keep the champ moving, stay patient and stay close to the baseline, hitting as flat as she can to deny the bounce that Sabalenka rides so well.
Phew, I’m absolutely annihilated; that was one of the great matches, the shot-making and intensity celestial. Swiatek wasn’t as metronomic under pressure as usual but she wasn’t allowed to be, facing an opponent in control of her game and herself. Keys, meantime, was so calm on the big points, staying patient without sacrificing the power that makes her special. And that, my friends, is balance: how do we stop what’s good about us from also being what’s bad about us? Well, I don’t have a perfect answer to that, but getting out of our heads to stay in the moment – easily said, not easily done – is the best I can do. At no point did Keys look awed or cowed by the situation because she’s learnt to treat life with equanimity, and that – aside from the purity and bravery of her hitting – is the reason she’s into the final.
Ahahaha, Keys signs the camera “Oh my God,” which says plenty. But while we’re feting our favourite, let’s give big ratings to Swiatek, who wasn’t at her best, but still played some fantastic tennis and showed unfathomable love and desire.
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“You’re into your first Australian Open final, that must feel good?” wonders the opening question; “Yeah,” comes back the response, Keys corpsing at the understatement. “I’m still trying to catch upto everything that’s happening … yeah!”she volunteers.
“Yeah” indeed, sometimes saying little says loads, and what a feeling this must be – one she feared she’d never again experience but one she felt she had the talent to again experience.
“I’m in the finals, woo hoo!” she goes again. “That match was just so high-level and she played so well,” she continues, talking about the intensity of the battle.
Even though she lost the first set, she felt she was playing better towards the end of it so took momentum into the second, ran with it, and then in the third, it was just so tight; “Did she have a match point?”
Told there was one, she explains that she blacked out, just doing what she could “then 10-point tiebreak for an extra dramatic finish!” Oh man, this is what it’s all about; this kind of joy, adrenaline and release, beautifully communicated; this is why we love her!
Keys continues, saying they were both nervous at the end and it became about who’d get one more point than the other; “I’m glad it was me!”
Then, on the final, she says she’s expecting some big hitting, short points, and she’s excited for the challenge of meeting Sabalenka, “but Saturday is very far away in my brain right now!”
Finally, asked for today’s plan – it’s past midnight – she says she’ll probably go and hug her team, run around and satisfy her obligations, try and enjoy the moment, then get ready for “Saturday … tomorrow”.
Our Maddy lets out a celebratory squeal, meets Swiatek at the net, and lowers on to haunches, embracing the momentousness of the moment. She played the big points brilliantly, and what a total joy it is to say that of her – she’s worked so hard for this, suffered so much, and the joy of winning not just a semi, but that semi, will sustain not just the rest of her career but the rest of her life.
Madison Keys beats Iga Swiatek 5-7 6-1 7-6(8)
Maddy has done it! Madison Keys is into the final against Aryna Sabalenka, winning an immediate classic in the process! What a moment! What a change-around! What a match!
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Keys 5-7 6-1 6-6 (9-8) Swiatek This contest is so good it’s moving, and Keys again sticks in a point, gradually reversing momentum to take back another mini-break! Then, at 7-7, Keys is into the net with Swiatek already there, going cross when line’s open and presenting a volley that’s well despatched, No matter, an ace and a service-winner follow; Keys has match point on the Swiatek serve…
Keys 5-7 6-1 6-6 (6-7) Swiatek Two holds and Swiatek has 6-4, but Keys, allowed to plant feet, uses the pace of the ball to coax an inside-out winner into the corner. Bur she just can’t hold serve, a long backhand again forcing her to come from behind; a backhand winner reminds Swiatek of how close this is.
Keys 5-7 6-1 6-6 (4-5) Swiatek This time, Swiatek converts, Keys defending well to keep the rally going but a third booming groundstroke is too much and she trails 2-4. But have a look! Out of nowhere, Keys, on the defensive, sends a munter of a slice zoning over the net cross-court and Swiatek, in for a simple putaway, can’t respond to a ball she wasn’t expecting. But Keys has lost her consistency here, losing control of a forehand to trail 3-5, and she’s giving away service-points faster than she can retrieve them.
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Keys 5-7 6-1 6-6 (2-3) Swiatek Keys, suffused with relief, nets a forehand to cede an immediate mini-break, but with 10 points the target, she’s more scope to redeem things … and she doesn’t need it, an immediate double handing it straight back. Usually in a tiebreak, I’d back the player with the bigger game to take it, but I’ve not a clue how Keys will react to the pressure – she needs this more than her opponent – and a netted forehand means she donates another mini-break at 3-1, the gap soon closed to 3-2.
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Keys 5-7 6-1 6-6 Swiatek* Lovely from Swiatek, hitting through a forehand and coming to the net to volley a winner; 0-15. But a decent return then makes her play and she can’t control her response; a netted return gives her 30-15. But have a look! A forehand dismissively swatted, Delpo-style, from middle to corner, levels us up again ... only for a netted backhand to cede match point. And here it comes … but Swiatek can’t respond to another return of excellent length, down the middle but close to line and body! And she then nets to hand over break point – I’m in awe of how fiercely these two are competing – and a double means a 10-point tiebreak! MORE MORE MORE MORE!
*Keys 5-7 6-1 5-6 Swiatek Again, you wonder if the disappointment of the last game will affect Keys, and when Swiatek runs in to put away a forehand for 0-30, you fear for her. Ach, and a double follows, meaning that for the second game in a row, she’ll need to retrieve a 0-40 deficit … and two serve-forehand combos take her two-thirds of the way! But oh Maddy! In charge of the next rally, she opts for drop – that’s tiredness, of body and mind, I think – and Swiatek spots it a mile off, racing to the net to flip a forehand winner down the line. The no 2 seed is a hold away, and Keys will be reliving that error for a long, long time if she can’t break here. You feel for her.
Keys 5-7 6-1 5-5 Swiatek* Now then! At 15-all, a return down the line allows Keys to advance and put away a forehand winner for 15-30; she’s two points away! But on the run, she can’t control another forehand, so cedes the next rally, and Swiatek then pins her behind the baseline, moving from side to side, for 40-30 before closing out.
*Keys 5-7 6-1 5-4 Swiatek The relief of saving the break there, and to escape the shame of that missed overhead, have Swiatek bouncing, and three errors from Keys mean it’s quickly 0-40. A big first serve and follow-up forehand save the firs break point … and the second, but Swiatek is in control of the next point, coming in to unleash a forehand … only to check the shot and net! Credit to Keys for finding the first serves when she needed them but then, unloading a succession of forehands, Swiatek sticks in the rally then, as Keys comes in, fires one low that’s too good! Might that be the shot that seizes the match? Er, no, a service-winner down the T restores deuce then a high-kicking serve facilitates the controlled forehand into space for advantage … and a weapons-grade, inside-out monster has her squealing in delight and release! Keys is a game away and this is both the best and toughest I’ve seen her play. What a match!
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Keys 5-7 6-1 4-4 Swiatek* This is a lot of trouble to go to for the misery of meeting Aryna Sabalenka, but here we are, and Swiatek nets yet another backhand for 0-15, then sends one long for 0-30; pressure increases for both players. Is this Keys’ moment? How can she calm herself to attack it? Well, her first effort goes long, but stretching to force her opponent to play one more ball, flipping high from the corner, Swiatek hammers the overhead putaway wide! You could almost see her sweating under that, and though she then saves the first break point, she must face the second with a second serve … and Keys, well in the point, nets a forehand! That’s an error she might take to her grave – a lot to process in the moment – and two further swipes into the net extinguish the opportunity. Swiatek will be wanting to make her play as many balls as possible next game, while she’s still smarting.
*Keys 5-7 6-1 4-3 Swiatek From 30-0 we reach 30-all, but Keys isn’t arsed, backpeddling to launch into a forehand, almost underarm, to the inside-out corner, then again stepping back to laser flat down the line! This is fantastic stuff: for Madison Keys, these are the days of her life, and she’s embracing them.
“‘... heck as like’?” says Geoff Wignall. “Errr, no. ‘Heckers like’ is the term.”
Er, my old fella – from Cheetham Hill – uses both, and given “heck” is in lieu of a swearword, try inserting the relevant one before wondering if you’d give it the suffix “-ers”.
Keys 5-7 6-1 3-3 Swiatek* Swiatek quickly makes 30-0, then Keys tries a drop – is that her first of the match? – and it doesn’t get close to the net. But what’s this?! Two unnecessary errors, both snatched backhands, illustrate the pressure Swiatek is under – she had time to measure both – and at 40-30, she’ll be relieved to see Keys net rather than make her play.
*Keys 5-7 6-1 3-2 Swiatek Keys knows that even a momentary lack of focus can be fatal, especially against so relentless, remorseless a killer, and that last hold has given Swiatek something. A big forehand makes her 30-all – last game, she was missing those – and is this the start of the momentum shift, the five-time slam winner finding a way? Well, Keys nets a backhand to hand over break point … but does she step off? Does she heck as like! A backhand to the corner allows a forehand clean-up, a serve out wide is too good for Swiatek to control her return, and a series of frankly terrifying forehands secure a crucial hold. The conundrum for Swiatek is that she looks best when playing aggressively, but that makes errors more likely and also allows Keys to be more patient – not generally one of her fortes.
Keys 5-7 6-1 2-2 Swiatek* Given Keys is a) the underdog, b) playing better and c) serving first, the pressure is on Swiatek, who marches in, only to net a backhand down the line with time and space to execute; 15-all. Then, forced to the corner, she nets a forehand, and knows her opponent has never played better; can she find a way nevertheless? Because that brings a sense for Keys that she can’t waste this opportunity – for all the therapy-speak about being able to enjoy her career achievements without needing a grand slam title, she still desires one more than she’s ever desired anything. That’s a lot to deal with when you’re closer to it than you dared dream you’d get again, all the more so against one of the great competitors, and though an error from Swiatek gives her break point, the no 2 seed does really well to save it and then close out. This is now the match of the championships – and there’s plenty more of it to come!
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*Keys 5-7 6-1 2-1 Swiatek A weak second serve gets due treatment, but Keys is calm and quickly makes 40-15. And, though Swiatek closes then takes control of the next point, a forehand slice on to the baseline elicits the error, and both players are building to a crescendo, Keys looking less likely to lose it – not words often said of her or her opponent.
Keys 5-7 6-1 1-1 Swiatek* Better from Swiatek, sticking in the rallies without doing too much and making 30-0 as a consequence. And though, at 40-0, she slices into the tape, she lowers on to her haunches to return one booming backhand, then advances to despatch an overhead, suffused with all the accumulated rage of the last set.
*Keys 5-7 6-1 1-0 Swiatek Gosh, at 15-all, Swiatek is handed a loopy, slow second serve … and she misses her return by a long way; she’s in trouble. All the more so when Keys clatters an ace down the T, then an inside-out backhand winner, greeted with a delighted yelp, seals the hold. She’s in perfect control, just the right amount of irritated by how long Swiatek took changing to repurpose it as righteous fury and tennis excellence. This next game is a biggun.
Keys is back buy Swiatek takes a little longer, changing her kit, and I imagine, her mindset. She knows how to win these matches and I’m reminded of her contest against Naomi Osaka in Paris, which she won 7-6 1-6 7-5.
Keys nips out for a break and she must be desperate, because I can’t imagine she’ll have willingly stepped out of whatever rarefied place she’s been inhabiting the last 20 minutes or so. She monstered Swiatek’s second serve in that set, but it was the considered power that really did the damage, hitting hard enough but not too hard and not looking for a winner off every shot, rather to land her opponent in trouble.
Keys 5-7 6-1 Swiatek* Other hand, if Keys can seal the set with another break, she’ll be serving first in the third – and a winner followed by an error make that not unlikely at 0-30. And goodness me, a double hands over three set points … the first saved via serve-forehand combo-move, the second with a netted return. But when she lands her next, Swiatek again overhits, and we’re going the distance! That’s a fantastic set (of tennis) from Keys, who found such a good length, not just on her winners but on her returns, while i don’t think I’ve ever seen Swiatek overhit as much, a sign that she’s fazed and trying to do too much. She’s some thinking to do because, though it’s possible Keys cools or tightens, status quo and she loses.
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*Keys 5-7 5-1 Swiatek Is this the performance Keys has always had in her? The better she plays, the more she knows she must take full advantage, the more she wonders how she’ll feel if she somehow collapses. And though a fantastic forehand winner makes 30-15, Swiatek might just be over the worst of her blip, a forehand to the corner making 30-all … then a double means a point for one break back, and seasoned Maddy-watchers will fear they’ve seen this before. Shonuff, a backhand down the line falls out, this set not yet done, and even if Keys closes out, she might just be allowing her opponent back in with a decider looming.
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Keys 5-7 5-0 Swiatek* Hi Maddy and welcome to The Zone, population: You. More forehand excellence makes 0-15, a double 0-30, and Swiatek is chuntering to herself between points; I’m afraid my only word in Polish is lebowski, and she’s definitely not wanting to sleep. And have a look! A forehand hooked long, then a backhand into the net, and this set is more or less over! Swiatek has handed out three bagels so far this tournament, but not she’s a Keys hold from enduring one herself! She is frenetic and flustered out there; her opponent is flying!
*Keys 5-7 4-0 Swiatek You bet she can! Three straight aces set things up, then an impatiently swatted return – that’s frustration not matchplay – means Swiatek is serving again within seconds.
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Keys 5-7 3-0 Swiatek* There are real contours to this match, neither player able or allowed to dominate; I guess in some ways, Badosa is just a less good Sabalenka, whereas here, the match-up allows each to exploit the other. And Keys has hit a seam here, the length on her returns causing problems … and the angle! On the stretch, she somehow finds the strength and control to punish a ball which bounces shoulder-high cross court for a winner, raising a point for the double-break! And Swiatek, who suddenly looks rushed and rattled, goes for a winner that isn’t there! Keys is in control of this set, but can she handle the expectation that comes with that?
*Keys 5-7 2-0 Swiatek Down 15-30 after having her second serve addressed, Keys finds a pair of backhands when she needs them to level the game, then lands another on to the baseline and Swiatek can’t respond. This next point is crucial and here comes another second delivery … but this time, the return is netted! An absolutely gargantuan consolidation is secured, but can Maddy play well enough for long enough to make it worth something?
Keys 5-7 1-0 Swiatek* A fine backhand and swing-volley combo give Keys 15-30 – she’s made more than enough chances on the Swiatek serve, she just hasn’t been consistent enough on her own. But when a decent return forces the netted backhand, she’s a chance at 15-40, an even better return, right on to the paint, incites Swiatek to go long! Perfect response from Keys but she must, you feel, hold here else what’s the point?
*Keys 5-7 Swiatek Between games, we cut to Badosa’s interview, in which she explains that Swiatek takes away your legs, making every point intense, whereas Sabalenka is “winners everywhere”. Talking of which, one apiece takes us to 15-all, before a wild return takes Keys to two points away. But it’s soon 30-all, then Swiatek steps into court and caresses a backhand winner inside-out into the corner, and that’s another set point … and this time, Keys nets! It took a while, and Swiatek was steaming with herself after missing her first go at it, but she’s a set to the good and it’ll take something special to stop her from here.
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Keys 5-6 Swiatek* Swiatek rushes to 40-0, a long return secures the hold, and Kets will shortly serve to secure a first-set breaker. This is getting intense.
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*Keys 5-5 Swiatek At 15-all, a fantastic get from Keys, floating a backhand on the stretch that drops neat the baseline, incites the error, and another– Swiatek swatting long – means game point. And it’s as good as secure when a ball drops just over the bet and bounces high … only Keys dumps an overhead into the net from an angle that looked impossible to to do! She can only laugh, but she’ll be absolutely bricking it because that’s the kind of error you can rue for a lifetime. But a forehand winner down the line has her screaming in glee that’s really relief – gleelief – and at 5-5, this set is anyone’s. Well played Madison Keys!
Keys 4-5 Swiatek* Keys goes for it, smoking a backhand return then following up with an unreturnable forehand. Then, flipping the script, a forehand return allows a backhand winner; 0-30, and this is great stuff from the underdog. And have a look! Two more flat backhands make 0-40, but we’re quickly to 40-30 and this might be the match right here – or at least, if Swiatek closes out for the set, it’ll be hard to see her losing. But she cannot! Keys’ weight of shot is again too much, two cross-court backhands allowing her to cream one down the line, and Swiatek is not all her happy with herself, perhaps still sweating that miss when up set point last game. We’re back on serve!
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*Keys 3-5 Swiatek A terrific inside-out forehand towards the sideline gives Swiatek 0-15, a backhand into the net 0-30, and the pressure is telling on Keys – that’s her 12th unforced error. An ace down the T does make 30-all, but sent wide on the forehand side, a clump wide means set point for the Pole … who misses with her backhand down the line, the space open. What an oversight that might prove to be! So to deuce and another ace brings advantage, then a return into the net forces Swiatek to serve for it.
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Keys 2-5 Swiatek* Of course it makes sense Keys is looking for winners, but she needs to be just a little more judicious in her timing and little more patient in her set-ups. And shonuff, though a double then some forehand clouting bring her 15-30, more rushing cedes 30-all … before we wind up at deuce. And from there, Swiatek nails a forehand winner down the line, then comes in to secure her consolidation. Like our first match, it’s close, but no sense we’ll see an upset.
*Keys 2-4 Swiatek The roof is being closed but we keep playing, Swiatek coaxing a forehand down the line for 0-15. And though she returns well, Keys lands a backhand response on to the paint … only to waft her next well long. Trouble! And more of it when Swiatek scurries superbly to stay in a point Keys thinks is won – has she never seen Swiatek play? – eventually inciting the error for 0-40; there’s a lesson there. And though she saves two break points with superb play, she then goes for a forehand that isn’t there, swiping wide, and after three goes at it, she’s still seeking a hold.
Keys 2-3 Swiatek* All the more so when Swiatek makes 40-0, hitting her spots much better, and though an error gives Keys the sniff of a sniff, she dictates the next point with forehands, and looks settled. This next game is a biggun: Keys really must hold.
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*Keys 2-2 Swiatek An inside-out forehand to the corner gives Swiatek 15-all, but a net-cord which kills the ball makes 30-15. A double, though, follows, then two backhand errors, one fractions from the line and one into the net, mean a fourth break in four games. Keys will be worried she’s spurned the best chances she’s likely to get.
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Keys 2-1 Swiatek* Another double gives Keys 0-15, then she flips long a ball that bounces just over the net; trouble. And there’s more of it when a second serve bounces so short, the American has to stretch to get at it, landing a backhand winner nonetheless and raising three break points in the process. And though Swaitek gets her moving again, she goes wide after creating more than enough space to hit her winner without getting close to the line, and that’s another break! Already, this is a greater challenge than any she has faced in this competition this year.
*Keys 1-1 Swiatek My screen crashes, returning in time for me to see Keys go long with a forehand at 40-30; she laughs to herself – a good sign because once she might’ve turned her disappointment inward. Swiatek, though, does superbly to stay in the next point then finish it with a forehand winner, and another long forehand hands back the break. Keys isn’t anywhere near as effective when put on her bike and I’m sure that’s what Swiatek will seek to do.
Keys 1-0 Swiatek* Is that a marker? Keys dominates the opening point with forehands, then a double follows, before Swiatek hits the sideline with a backhand. She looks a little nervous, though, snatching at a forehand down the line when she didn’t need to then, at 30-40, coming in behind a loose approach and eventually netting the third volley belted at her. Keys breaks immediately!
Swiatek to serve … and ready, play.
The roof is back open, which favours Swiatek – she’s likely to handle any breeze better, and the pace on Keys’ shots won’t be the same.
So to our next match! Swiatek is, of course, the better player, but Keys is good enough to hit through her if she’s on. This is a bonus for the American – she collapsed in the 2017 US Open final against her mate, Sloane Stephens and will have feared never getting back to that level – but she’s in a great place both on and off the court, finding a racket and strings that work for her along with a coach who’s also her husband. Beating Elena Rybakina in the last eight was massive for her, but she'll need to play better here than she did then.
Sabalenka, then. A few years ago, she was a fragile power-player, but nowadays, she’s an all-round monster, certain she’ll win and deploying a full range of tools to make that happen. Badosa didn’t hit as quite as hard, but also couldn’t find the varying angles and near-perfect lengths to keep her guessing, which was how Pavlyuchenkova competed in the quarter-finals. It’ll take something monumental to stop her.
Coming up next: Madison Keys (19) v Iga Swiatek (2).
Sabalenka says she was able to turn around the crucial game in set one when she broke – with the help of poor forehands from Badosa, it must be said. She then discusses how good it is to see her mucker playing her best, as we cut to her sat desolate on the locker-room floor – she’ll come again – and they both wanted it badly but they agreed long ago to letit go on the court and stay friends. She’s sure Badosa will hate her for the next hour or day, she’s OK with that, and then they’ll be back going out and shopping together, promising she’ll buy whatever her mate wants.
It’s a long time since anyone won three Aussie Opens and Sabalenka is proud of herself and of her team for putting themselves in such a situation – it’s a privilege. She could never have dreamed of this, she wanted to win just one slam, and she thanks the crowd for supporting her.
Otherwise, she plans to rest – but not 10 hours like Jannik Sinner. She’ll have a protein shake, sleep seven to nine hours, and put aside tennis as much as she can – maybe with Paula: “I’ll put a limit for her, she can go crazy.”
And off she goes, justifiably delighted with her work – and how many of us can ever say that?
For the best part of a set, Badosa competed, but once Sabalenka found her forehand range, it didn’t feel close because it couldn’t. Here she is!
Aryna Sabalenka beats Paula Badosa (11) 6-4 6-2
*Sabalenka 6-4 6-2 Badosa A big serve, 15-0; a backhand winner, 30-0. A long return, 40-0, and Badosa has played well here, she’s just come up against the best in the world at the top of her game. Another big serve, a flat forehand winner, and that was very, very excellent from the two-time defending champ. She meets Swiatek or Keys in the final; good luck, people.
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Sabalenka 6-4 5-2 Badosa* An ace out wide makes 15-0, but out comes that forehand to make 15-all, Sabalenka bounding into court to put the last of them away. Badosa, though – and though she knows – flips a backhand winner cross-court, a shanked forehand gives her 40-15, and when Sabalenka nets a return, she waves to the crowd, wanting them to acknowledge just how hard it is to survive the barrage to which she’s being subjected. After a little sit-down, the champ will serve for a third final on the spin.
*Sabalenka 6-4 5-1 Badosa Badosa is resigned; how can she not be. I do think she can do more tactically, looking for angles to keep Sabalenka moving, but it’s also the case that the way the champ is playing, there’s nothing she can do. She does find a great return and forehand winner, but is soon down 40-15 … then a double makes things just a little bit interesting, and forehand into the net takes us to deuce; has Sabalenka relaxed, the match so close to hers? Er, no: another forehand cross, the shot which has defined the match – this one hooked to break the sideline, raises advantage – and though Badosa finds a backhand down the line to restore deuce, more forehand waheys means it’s soon 5-1, Sabalenka a game away.
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Sabalenka 6-4 4-1 Badosa* Down 30-0, Sabalenka opens up, with forehands; to avoid that, Badosa is looking to hit lines, and the pressure is telling. It’s soon 30-all, but a rally more like those we saw at the start, Badosa hanging in there until the error comes, gives her game point, but she then nets a forehand for deuce … and another double at a crucial moment means another chance for Sabalenka to break. Gosh, and though Badosa manages to get her second serve over the net, thus avoiding the ignominy of ceding serve with two doubles two games in a row, the champ crouches to dematerialise a forehand winner hit so hard it doesn’t need to find the corner and that’s the second break. Sabalenka is almost there, and this is the performance of a superhero.
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*Sabalenka 6-4 3-1 Badosa Badosa doesn’t have to break back immediately, but she does, I think, have to show that this remains a contest. And she makes 15-all with a forehand on to the line that comes quickly and Sabalenka can’t control her response; of course it’s soon 15-all, a forehand to the corner cemented by a swing-volley. Badosa then misses narrowly with an attempted return down the line and, sent wide again to chase a serve, can' get nowhere near the clean-up forehand which follows. And, to rub it in, the consolidation is secured with a drop, and this is intimidating, inspiring stuff from the two-time defending champ; the kind of stuff that makes you wonder how anyone can ever beat her.
Sabalenka 6-4 2-1 Badosa* At 30-15, Sabaklenka steps in and nails a forehand, then steps in again to buggy-whip a winner … and when a double follows, Badosa must face a break point that feels a bit like the beginning of the end. And yup, another double follows, the champ leads by a set and a break, and this might, I’m afraid, be over.
*Sabalenka 6-4 1-1 Badosa Badosa slips and goes with the fall to avoid damage, tossing her racket and, prostate, gives the crowd the thumbs-up. In no time at all, Sabalenka holds to love, and she looks impregnable … but Badosa’s shot-making ability means she’s always a couple of points away from threatening.
Sabalenka 6-4 0-1 Badosa* Badosa must not, of course, get broken here, and I wonder if her coach has adjusted the game-plan at all; I don’t think playing better is the answer. Whether it’s using more drops, hitting to the backhand, or taking pace off, the way the match looks, Sabalenka is just a bit better at everything; as Jack Slack, the MMA analyst is fond of saying, take away what the champ does best and then see. Anyhow, Badosa holds to 15; she needed that.
*Sabalenka 6-4 Badosa Badosa finds a pretty decent return, but Sabalenka’s forehand is just too much, also cleaning up for 30- following a revolting serve out wide. Similar follows, but this time, the clean-up forehand goes into the net; no matter, Badosa can’t get after a second serve, netting her return, and an animal down the T closes out the first set with an ace. There’s not loads in it but there’s enough: Sabalenka’s forehand is grooved and Badosa hasn’t found a way to quell it.
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Sabalenka 5-4 Badosa* Even if she loses here, Badosa, at 27, has time to build on this experience – if she stays fit, she’s proving to us right now that she’s right there – and two aces along with a service winner help her to a love hold. Sabalenka will have to serve out the set.
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*Sabalenka 5-3 Badosa Excellent from Badosa, rocketing a forehand to which Sabalenka can’t respond and making 15-all; an inside-out backhand winner, though, restores her lead in the game and an error followed by a service winner take the champ a game away from the set.
Sabalenka 4-3 Badosa* A wondrous forehand winner, right into the corner, gives Badosa 15-0, but that’s how good she needs to be to get anything. A point sharpened when a brutal, leaping forehand cross makes 30-all, then again after another forehand to the corner raises game point only for a backhand down the line for force another deuce. Currently it’s Badosa doing most of the running, whereas Pavlyuchenkova was, at least for a set or so, able to stick Sabalenka on her bike, but as i type she closes out through advantage and that’s a massive hold – even if she loses the set, she needs the match to feel close so the champ feels under threat.
*Sabalenka 4-2 Badosa With Badosa pushed back, Sabalenka is more able to hit drops, and one helps her make 15-0 before a buggy-whip forehand winner and an ace secures three consolidation points, the champ suddenly dominating. She holds to 15 and Badosa needs to hang in there.
It’s spitting a little, so they’re going to close the roof. I guess that helps Sabalenka if it helps anyone because she hits it harder and flatter, but I imagine both players will benefit.
Sabalenka 3-2 Badosa* It’s pretty rare to see two players playing brilliantly at the same time, partly because playing brilliantly is hard ad prtly because playing brilliantly generally involves stopping an opponent from doing the same. But these two are both bang at it, a signature point from each – Badosa with forehands from the back, Sabalenka pouncing on a short ball making 15-all before, at 30-all, the champ disguises a gorgeous drop to raise break point. A long forehand, though, means deuce … but Sabalenka has hit a seam now and dominates the next rally, Badosa behind the line and chasing until the winner arrives. No matter: she finds an ace when she really needs one, then makes advantage with a service winner … only for a flat backhand winner to restore parity. So Badosa constructs a magnificent point, Sabalenka tanking from side to side before the winner comes … and we quickly return to deuce. This is so so good, and Badosa is under pressure again when a desperate return drops on to the sideline and her response is wide; a backhand error and we go to deuce number five. Already and though it’s only the fifth of the match, this feels like a crucial game, or at least one Badosa mustn’t lose, but she goes down advantage and this time she can’t get her response in when Sabalenka clobbers a forehand to the corner. The champ breaks, and the standard of this match is proper, likewise the entertainment.
*Sabalenka 2-2 Badosa A point apiece, won in brilliant style – Badosa by hitting forehands from the back, Sabalenka by creating the chance to come in and volley – mean 15-all, and the rallies are so intense. Both players respect the power and skill of the other – their ability to suddenly change things – but both are also looking to get off as soon as possible. The theatre of it all – silence punctuated by metronomic hitting and hollering – is also building tension, and from 30-all, Sabakenka powers to her hold, thwacking a swing-volley with joyous release to level us up.
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Sabalenka 1-2 Badosa* The way Sabalenka is playing, Badosa needs to make her hit balls, and after another wayward forehand makes 15-0, a fine backhand down the line followed by one from the champ into the net raise three consolidation points. An error saves one, then a tremendous return, crushed cross on the stretch, ups the pressure, and a return into the corner allows Sabalenka to finish off for deuce. She’s played her way into this match now and is in control of the next point … until she isn’t, Badosa chasing to the forehand side and arriving with perfect timing to spirit a winner down the line. Already, this has the feel of an epic, all the more so when a terrifying return forehand winner restores deuce … and the champ quickly makes advantage, looking to convert it when she hoists a lob, only for Badosa to improvise brilliantly, a double-handed backhand overhead saving her. Problem being, two tame forehands into the net give Sabalenka has the break back; this is fantastic stuff and everything we hoped it’d be.
*Sabalenka 0-2 Badosa Sabalenka goes long, then again, and immediately she’s under pressure, but Badosa shovels a backhand long; no matter. A big serve out wide looks set to dictate the next rally, but another overhit forehand means 15-40, two break points … Badosa needs only one, another wild forehand swiped way wide to hand over a break that came far too easily.
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Sabalenka 0-1 Badosa* (denotes server) A big service-winner down the T makes 15-all, but Sabalenka takes control of the next point with a booming forehand return, cleaning up with with another down the line Then, facing a second serve, she steps in a little and starts thwacking … but just when15-40 seems a matter of time, a backhand on the stretch and on to the line hauls Badosa back into the point and eventually the error comes; 30-all. But a double presents break point; another service-winner confiscates it, and so far, the underdog is coping with the pressure well, as I type spanking an ace down the T for advantage. And though she oughtn’t win the next rally, Sabalenka in at the net and unable to finish, she makes her opponent play enough balls such that the error comes. Badosa is into this!
Badosa to serve and ready … play.
Our players are out on court, and atmosphere is building.
Sabalenka, of course, is a picture of serenity now, nut she’s no stranger to nerves herself – she collapsed against Muchova in Paris in 2023 and against Pliskova at Wimbledon in 2021. It was only when she won the Aussie Open in 2023 that she settled into her style, and she was jittery as recently as Tuesday.
Both players know that in the last eight at Flushing Meadow last year, Badosa collapsed; she trailed Emma Navarro 2-6 5-1 but instead of serving out lost the set 7-5. After that, she changed aspects of her team – I doubt she was blaming, rather such a disaster demanded a fresh environment in order to move on – and I doubt we’ll see similar from her here. Even listening to her speak, she sounds more at ease with herself.
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And of course, for extra joy, Badosa and Sabalenka are great mates. I think that could be harder for the champ, who knows how much her pal wants this because she knows how much she wanted it herself; crushing her dreams is necessary, but not pleasant.
Badosa is one of those players I’ve been waiting for. The first time I saw her play, I was extremely taken with her enterprise and power – I can’t remember who it was against, but she lost – and I was sure I’d see her at the business end of majors. But since then, difficulties with injury and in handling pressure have stymied her – until now. The relief of just getting back to playing seems to have given Badosa fresh perspective, and the more I think about it, the more I quite fancy her here.
First up it’s Sabalenka v Badosa, and the underdog has seen exactly how to trouble the champ because Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova showed her the other day: refuse to move from the baseline, attack the second serve, keep her moving.
If Sabalenka can’t plant her feet, it’s harder for her to get off, on top of which a fair number of her shots come down the middle; Badosa needs to redirect those not to the lines but towards the corners. And she may also benefit from trying drops because, though Sabalenka’s net-game has improved, anything that keeps her guessing is helpful.
Before we move on, good news: Henry Patten – coached by Calvin Betton, this blog’s resident expert – is, along with Harri Heliovaara, his partner – into the men’s doubles final. The Wimbledon champs beat Kevin Krawietz and Tim Putz 6-4 3-6 7-6(7) in what Calv described as “the highest-level doubles match I’ve ever watched”. Go on the GBG!
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Preamble
The best tennis is defined by rivalries – your Edberg v Beckers, your Evert v Navratilovas and so on. And given that between them, they’ve won six of the last 12 grand slams, this era should be about Iga Swiatek’s battle with Aryna Sabalenka. Yet they’re still to meet in the final of one – a strangeness that might be resolved by the end of today.
Swiatek has brutalised her quarter of the draw, dropping no sets and only 14 games in her run to the semis, while Sabalenka was pushed in her last match but, as always seemed inevitable, she did what she needed to do to win; she has not lost in Melbourne since 2022.
But both face tricky challenges this evening/morning. Madison Keys has a new racket with new strings and is better able to control her colossal power-game, which makes her better able to control herself, which makes her a very serious proposition. If she’s at it, she can give Swiatek all sorts of problems (and yes, if she’s not, she’ll get battered).
Similarly, Paulo Badosa hits the ball almost as monstrously as Sabalenka. She too appears to have not only found herself but found a way to manage herself, and has never played better. If she rises to the occasion, she’s a threat.
This is going to be great.
Play: 7.30pm local, 8.30pm GMT.
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