“Desperately needed this revenge,” Aryna Sabalenka avenges Australian Open loss to Madison Keys to reach Indian Wells final
Aryna Sabalenka crushed Madison Keys 6-0, 6-1 in the semifinals of Indian Wells, into her second final of the WTA 1000 event.
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Aryna Sabalenka (via X)
Aryna Sabalenka ended Madison Keys’ 16-match winning streak with a dominant display in the semifinals of Indian Wells. The World No.1 put out her best performance of the season to earn her revenge against the Australian Open champion, who had defeated her in the first Grand Slam of the season, in Melbourne.
Sabalenka’s victory earned her a place in her second career Indian Wells final. The Belarusian last got to the stage in 2023, losing to Elena Rybakina. She will now face in-form 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva in the final on Sunday (March 16). The World No.11 advanced to the final after outlasting defending champion Iga Swiatek in three sets.
The Indian Wells final is Sabalenka’s third WTA tour-level final of the season. The 26-year-old won her first tournament of the season which was at Brisbane. In the second, she suffered a humbling loss against Keys. The World No.1 never forget the defeat soon and when she met Keys in the desert on Friday (March 15), she crushed her with every shot.
In fact, Keys could only secure one match point and crumbled to a 6-0, 6-1 defeat to Sabalenka. After the victory, Sabalenka was asked what motivated her to play so well against the American. The World No.1 revealed that the defeat to Keys in Melbourne made her hungry for the win.
I desperately needed this revenge, I was hungry to defeat Madison, and I played with great focus and a perfect tactical approach. I focused on not allowing her to find rhythm with her shots, I didn’t want her to hit the same ball twice and start dictating play. The match in Australia broke my heart, and I was aware that losing to her again could create a mental trauma that would greatly affect my upcoming tournaments.
Aryna Sabalenka said via Indian Wells
Apart from the Australian Open, the last time Sabalenka lost a final title match was at the Italian Open last year against Swiatek. The Belarusian has won four finals and lost one in her last five final matches.
Aryna Sabalenka is yet to drop a set in Indian Wells
Aryna Sabalenka has been playing disciplined baseline tennis, crushing her opponents with powerful shots. She has also maintained a rally pressure, which has forced her opponents to make errors. She’s yet to drop a set in the tournament and, for the second time in her career, is into the final of the WTA 1000 tournaments.
Sabalenka opened her Indian Wells account with a win over McCartney Kessler in the second round. She continued with her run against Lucia Bronzetti and Sonay Kartal in the third and fourth rounds. She then outplayed Liudmila Samsonova and Madison Keys, beating them in straight sets.
Aryna Sabalenka says she feels uncomfortable playing Mirra Andreeva because she “perceives her as a child”
Aryna Sabalenka has faced Mirra Andreeva five times in her career. The former holds a 4-1 head-to-head record against the latter. The last time the duo met was at the Australian Open, where Sabalenka crushed her 6-1, 5-2 in the fourth round. Ahead of their meeting in the Indian Wells final, Sabalenka revealed that she feels uncomfortable playing against the 17-year-old.
It’s uncomfortable for me to think that I’m 26, nearly 27. I still feel very young, but then I see Mirra, who is 17. She’s only two years older than my sister, whom I perceive as a child. It’s incredible; I feel old when I see what Mirra Andreeva is capable of at her age.
Aryna Sabalenka said
The last time Andreeva defeated Sabalenka was at the 2024 French Open. The Russian teenager has since lost to the World No.1 on two occasions this season. In their fifth meeting, Andreeva will hope to earn her second win against Sabalenka.
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