Melbourne, Australia – Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek stormed into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Monday, showcasing contrasting yet equally impressive performances.
Table of Contents
- Madison Keys Upsets Rybakina in a Thrilling Encounter
- Swiatek Dismantles Lys in Ruthless Display
- The Road Ahead
Madison Keys Upsets Rybakina in a Thrilling Encounter
American Madison Keys, the 19th seed, triumphed over sixth seed Elena Rybakina in a roller-coaster match at Margaret Court Arena. Keys secured a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 victory, extending her unbeaten run in 2025 to nine matches.
The Adelaide Open champion controlled much of the match despite a dip in the second set when Rybakina, struggling with a lingering back injury, found a brief resurgence. Keys capitalized on her aggressive playstyle, neutralizing Rybakina’s powerful serve and dictating the rallies.
“Her serve is such a weapon, so I knew that if I could just try to make some of her service games competitive, then I had a chance,” Keys said. “I was basically just trying to make anything I could get my racquet on back over the net.”
After an even start to the decider, Keys raised her game at 3-3 and clinched the match with a stunning cross-court winner on her second match point. The 29-year-old will now face Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, who dispatched Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 6-1 earlier in the day.
Svitolina dedicated her victory to Ukraine, saying, “This fighting spirit that I have is completely Ukrainian spirit … To bring the fight is the least that I can do.”
Swiatek Dismantles Lys in Ruthless Display
Second seed Iga Swiatek delivered a near-flawless performance to dismantle lucky loser Eva Lys 6-0, 6-1 in just 59 minutes on Rod Laver Arena. The five-time Grand Slam champion showcased her dominance, dropping only 10 points in the first set and extending her winning streak to 20 consecutive games across her last two matches.
“I don’t feel like I’m in my peak yet, but matches like that definitely give me confidence,” Swiatek said. “I feel like I’m playing a good game.”
Swiatek’s win came on the heels of an announcement by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) that it would not appeal her earlier ban for a positive doping test, which she served in December 2024. The test was attributed to contamination, and Swiatek’s one-month suspension ended before the Australian Open.
Despite Lys’ historic run as the first women’s singles lucky loser to reach the fourth round in the Open era, the German could not match Swiatek’s intensity. “This has been the nicest week of my life,” Lys reflected. “I know I have the potential, but sometimes I was the only person standing in my way.”
Swiatek will next face American eighth seed Emma Navarro, who battled past Daria Kasatkina in a marathon 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 encounter.
The Road Ahead
With Swiatek eyeing her first Australian Open title since 2022 and Keys aiming to continue her dream run, the quarter-finals promise high-octane action. Both players, though employing starkly different approaches, have proven they are formidable contenders for the year’s first Grand Slam.
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