Madison Keys reached her first Grand Slam semi-final in four years with a stunning win over Barbora Krejcikova at the Australian Open.
The American Keys continued their great start to the season with a 6-3, 6-2 win over French Open champions Krejcikova.
Krejcikova’s fourth seed struggled in the Melbourne heat and was treated on the front row.
Keys meets world number one Ashleigh Barty or her partner Jessica Pegula.
The 26-year-old is now undefeated in the 10-yard streak earlier this year after winning just 11 games in the 2021 season.
The US Open runner-up scored 27 wins, overtaking Krejcikova in an hour and 27 minutes.
“I think I’ll cry. It means a lot, ”Keys said from the pitch.
“I am very proud of myself and my team, very grateful to my friends and family for helping me through what has been a very difficult year.”
Both players used ice-cold towels to cool off when the temperature reached 33 ° C at Melbourne Park.
Krejcikova of various colors, still competing in the women’s doubles, appealed to the coach and the doctor after being 5-2 down in the first set.
The Czechs were taken for blood pressure, temperature and pills before Keys served the consecutive set of aces.
Krejcikova’s slow movement caused her to break in the first set of number two and a double fault in the next set broke her out of love.
Having landed six consecutive games, Keys suffered rare mistreatment, including a double foul to put his opponent on the table.
Keys kept her composure better than her, however, in a jaunty touch that saw two clear-cut winners of her serve take her 5-2 lead.
The American celebrated her long return from Krejcikova to her first semifinal of the 2015 Australian Open.
Krejcikova’s victory also means that Australian Barty will retain first place in the world after the Australian Open.
