MELBOURNE, VIC — For the first time in nearly seven years, Madison Keys has secured a spot in the Australian Open semifinals.
Keys defeated No. 4 seed Barbora Krejcikova with a 6-3, 6-2 win on Monday, Jan. 25.
The 26-year-old won 77% of her service points while holding Krejicikova to 49% first serves won and 48% on second serves.
The victory marks 10-straight match wins and her 11th in 2022, equaling her total from a year ago. Keys advanced to the tournament's final four for the first time since 2015.
It wasn't easy getting back after a tough 2021, but a change in her mindset and approach on the court has resulted in one of the best turnarounds in the sport for Keys.
"I did everything I could with my team to reset this offseason and focusing on starting fresh and new," Keys said after her quarterfinals win. "Really just starting from zero and not worrying about last year. It's gone well so far."
Awaiting the Rock Island native in the semifinals will be arguably the toughest opponent in her recent stretch, Australia's Ashleigh Barty, who hasn't lost a set in her last five tournament matches in front of a home crowd.
Barty cruised to a 6-2, 6-0 win over Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals.
Taking down the No. 1 ranked tennis player in the world might seem like a daunting task, but Keys has been nearly as dominant throughout this tournament as well.
Keys has dropped just one set in the Australian open while beating opponents seeded 11th, 8th and 4th along the way.
If the trends continue, the match will feature plenty of back and forth action with neither opponent wanting to give way.
First serve between Keys and Barty is scheduled for 2:30 a.m. (Central Time) on Jan. 27 in Melbourne.