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Resilient Keys 'really proud' to be back in Melbourne semis / Photo: © AFP
Resilient Keys 'really proud' to be back in Melbourne semis
Madison Keys said Wednesday she was "really, really proud" to be back in the Australian Open semi-finals, 10 years after she first made the last four at Melbourne Park.
The big-hitting American stormed back from a set down in her quarter-final to beat Ukraine's Elina Svitolina 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 and set up a showdown with Iga Swiatek for a place in the final.
"It feels great. I'm really, really proud of myself to be in another semi-final here and kind of hoping and looking forward to see if I can make it one step further," Keys, who previously made the Melbourne last four in 2015 and 2022, told reporters.
"I'm getting to the point where I'm starting to appreciate my career for what it has been.
"I've done a really good job and I've really left everything out there," added Keys, who has only made one previous Grand Slam final, at the 2017 US Open, where she lost to Sloane Stephens.
The American 19th seed will be 30 next month but leads the WTA Tour with 12 wins this season and is on a 10-match unbeaten streak after lifting the Adelaide title.
"I think it's a really great era of tennis right now because you can still be playing some of your best tennis as 30 is approaching and even past that.
"There's just so many players now that are into their 30s and they're playing some really great tennis.
"I think it's really nice to see all of these people that I played juniors with that we're still out here."
She had to show her resilience to fight back against Svitolina, who held the upper hand in the early stages.
"I felt like I kind of just had to start playing a little bit more aggressive and try to get to the net a little bit quicker," admitted Keys, who had battled past former Melbourne finalists Elena Rybakina and Danielle Collins on her way to the last eight.
"She was, you know, controlling a lot of the points and making me run. So I felt like I needed to try to get the advantage a little bit quicker.
"And luckily, I was able to do that," added Keys, who beat world number six Jessica Pegula in the Adelaide final and is projected to move back inside the top 10 in the rankings after Melbourne.
She knows she is in for a battle against Swiatek, who has been in rampant form in Melbourne and demolished Keys's good friend Emma Navarro 6-1, 6-2 in Wednesday's other quarter-final.
"I think Iga is tough to beat because she has a lot of spin kind of naturally on both sides. She's a good server. She's a good returner. She moves incredibly well," said Keys.
"So I think it's really hard to ever really get ahead in a point."
E. da Cruz--JDB
