“She’s playing incredible tennis,” said Sabalenka. “She’s a very aggressive player, serving well, moving well. She’s in a great shape. It’s going to be a great battle”
Aryna Sabalenka practises on the eve of the final in Melbourne yesterday. Pic/AFP; (right) Madison Keys
The irresistible force of Aryna Sabalenka meets the unbreakable spirit of Madison Keys in an Australian Open women’s singles final on Saturday that promises to be a thunderous slugfest.
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Defending champion Sabalenka was hailed by beaten semi-finalist Paula Badosa as being so good it was “like she’s playing a PlayStation” after dishing out a merciless straight-sets bludgeoning to her good friend.
The never-say-die American Keys, who will turn 30 next month, saved eight break points and a match point in a nerve-shredding final set against Iga Swiatek that went all the way to a 10-point tiebreak.
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“Definitely some big-hitting. I think that is going to happen,” the powerful 19th seed Keys predicted of the final. “Not a lot of long points.”
Keys and Sabalenka have met five times previously, with the Belarusian winning four of them, most recently on the Beijing hard courts last year. Keys’s sole win came on grass in Berlin in 2021.
“She’s playing incredible tennis,” said Sabalenka. “She’s a very aggressive player, serving well, moving well. She’s in a great shape. It’s going to be a great battle.”
Sabalenka, the modern day queen of Melbourne Park, has won 20 straight matches on the famous blue hard courts. If she makes it 21 it will see her complete a treble not witnessed this century.
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