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'I blacked out' – Madison Keys overjoyed after thrilling semi-final victory over Iga Swiatek at Australian Open

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Madison Keys stunned Iga Swiatek to reach her first ever Australian Open final as she beat the world No. 2 in a thrilling three-set encounter that lasted two hours and 37 minutes on Rod Laver Arena. The American, the 19th seed in Melbourne, triumphed 5-7 6-1 7-6(8), progressing into her second Grand Slam final. Keys saved a match point from Swiatek, who served for it, in a dramatic final set.

Keys beats Swiatek in thriller to reach final after saving match point - highlights

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Madison Keys said that she "blacked out" during her dramatic semi-final victory over Iga Swiatek at the Australian Open.

The American, the 19th seed in Melbourne, ousted the world No. 2 in a rollercoaster three-set encounter on Rod Laver Arena, coming through 5-7 6-1 7-6(8) in two hours and 37 minutes.

It is the first time that Keys, 29, has reached the final in the year’s first major tournament, but she had to do it the hard way against an error-strewn Swiatek.

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The pair started the match with nerves aplenty, trading service breaks in the opening four games before Swiatek produced the first hold.

Keys’ serve still had not got going as Swiatek edged in front with another service break at 4-2, but she was breached once more as she served for the set at 5-4, finally snaring first blood with a final break of the set.

Keys, a two-time semi-finalist at the Australian Open, rallied and produced a stirring comeback in the second set as Swiatek capitulated, with the American steaming to a 6-1 second set to level the contest and leave the match on a knife-edge.

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She had refound her serving rhythm - firing down seven aces in the second set - while Swiatek made an uncharacteristic 40 unforced errors, with Keys hitting 36 winners.

However, no-one on Rod Laver Arena was prepared for the drama of the decider, which resulted in a 10-point championship tie-break to decide Saturday’s finalist and Aryna Sabalenka’s opponent.

Swiatek served for the match at 6-5 up and even spurned a match point as Keys forced a final breaker, and the American dug deep to clinch it, surviving and bouncing back from multiple mini-breaks to get the job done.

Keys moves into Saturday's final, live on Eurosport and discovery+, where she will face world No. 1 and two-time defending champion Sabalenka, who cruised past Paula Badosa earlier in the day.

An emotional Keys admitted that she "blacked out" during the "battle" of the final set.

"I’m still trying to catch up to everything that's happening. I’m in the final!" she exclaimed.

"That match was at such a high level, and she played so well. I felt like I was just fighting to stay in it.

"I really ran with the second, and the third was a battle. To be able to stand here and be in the final, I am so excited that I get to be here on Saturday.

"Even though I lost the first set, I was playing some better tennis at the end of it. I had a bit of momentum going into the second.

'I haven't come back down to earth' admits Keys after stunning semi-final win over Swiatek

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"To be able to run with that second set, and be able to settle, was really nice. It was so up and down and there were so many big points and break-point chances that neither one of us got. Did she have a match point?

"I feel like I blacked out at some point and was just running around. Just to stay in it and keep fighting, and then the ten-point tiebreaker for an extra dramatic finish.

"At the end, we were both battling some nerves, really pushing each other. It just became who could get that final point, and who can be a little bit better than the other. I’m happy it was me."

Speaking exclusively to Eurosport’s Laura Robson afterwards, Keys spoke of her "rollercoaster" journey to the final at Melbourne Park.

That run has included four three-set matches in the previous rounds, where she knocked out the sixth seed Elena Rybakina in the fourth round, and the dangerous Elina Svitolina in the last eight. Elena-Gabriela Ruse posed her a problem in the second round as well.

"I haven’t quite come back down to earth, but I’ll be here on Saturday," Keys said.

"It’s been a rollercoaster. I’m going to cry again! I have worked so hard to be here again. It feels so amazing."

The American pulled back the curtain on her mindset in the final set, as she tried her utmost to remain composed with the pressure on.

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"I just kept thinking, ‘Get any point that you can’, stay in it, try and keep it close," she explained.

"For whatever reason, I felt that if I could just get the lead at the end, then it would be OK. I kept saying to myself: ‘one more point, one more point.’"

Looking ahead to the final, Keys says Sabalenka is a player she has tried to emulate.

American, who was beaten in straight sets in her first Grand Slam final at the 2017 US Open, says Sabalenka is a player she has tried to "emulate".

"The one thing I really wanted to try to be better at was not playing more passive in big points and really, honestly, just trying to emulate the way she trusts her game and the way she goes after it.

"I think if you're able to do that and you miss and you lose, but it's on your terms, it's a little bit easier to swallow than if you're kind of playing a little bit passive and things don't go the way that you want them to anyways.

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"I think what's really impressive is her mentality. I think her ability to kind of always go for it, no matter what the score is, is really impressive. She plays such fearless tennis. She has the ability to play so well that way. I think it's very unique. I think a lot of people, no matter what, even if it was a tight point, you kind of expect them to play a little bit more conservative or back down a little bit, and you know she's not going to do that.

"I think not only is that impressive on her side, but I think it puts a little bit more pressure on her opponents where you know you're always going to have to try to win."

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