Mats Wilander believes Madison Keys has ‘perfect game to hurt’ Iga Swiatek in Australian Open semifinals
World No.2 Iga Swiatek will be squaring off against World No.14 Madison Keys for the sixth time in her career.
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Iga Swiatek, Mats Wilander, Madison Keys (Images via X, Ubitennis)
Iga Swiatek has made it to another semifinal at the Australian Open and according to Mats Wilander, she is going to face a tough challenge from Madison Keys, the 19th seed who battled past Elina Svitolina to reach the last four in the tournament for the third time.
Swiatek has so far had a smooth campaign, winning all her matches in straight sets, and has already bageled three of her opponents. But Wilander thinks the reason behind Swiatek’s dominating performance is her not yet facing a big-ball striker.
It’s quite a big step up, especially the way Iga is playing and not giving away any games. But Iga Swiatek hasn’t played a big-ball striker like Madison Keys. That is what we think Iga struggles against, the [Aryna] Sabalenkas and [Elena] Rybakinas. If Keys is playing this way, she has the perfect game to hurt Iga on a fast hard court.
Mats Wilander told Eurosport
Even Swiatek has admitted that Keys ‘kinda killed’ her when they met last time on a hard-court event, in the fourth round of the 2022 Cincinnati Open, where the Pole registered her first and only defeat against the American.
Iga Swiatek wants to be proactive while playing Madison Keys
Unlike Iga Swiatek, Madison Keys faced stiff competition from her opponents in the previous rounds. Thrice her matches were pushed to deciders, including in the fourth round against 2023 Australian Open finalist Elena Rybakina. Swiatek has revealed some of her strategies that could help her beat Keys.
But obviously, you know, [Madison Keys] likes to also play intense and pretty fast, you know, and she’s using her power, especially on a faster, hard court, so I need to be ready for that. [I need to be] proactive and also good in defense, you know. I guess in semis, if you play against any opponent, they deserve to be there.
Iga Swiatek said at the press conference
Before setting up the semifinal clash with Keys, the five-time Grand Slam champion breezed past Emma Navarro, letting the 23-year-old American win just three games in the entire match.
A win in the semifinal will take Swiatek to her first-ever final at Melbourne Park with a possibility of facing World No.1 and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka who is set to play against Paula Badosa in the first semifinal.
The only time the 23-year-old advanced to the last four in Melbourne was in 2022. In 2023, Rybakina knocked her out in the fourth round, and in 2024, the World No.2 succumbed to a third-round defeat against Linda Noskova.
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Gouri Das
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