MAJOR KEYS
American makes Aussie semis with win over Krejcikova
MELBOURNE, Australia — Madison Keys continued her resurgent 2022 season by advancing to the Australian Open semifinals.
And resurgent might be a major understatement.
Her 6-3, 6-2 quarterfinal win over French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova on Tuesday was her 10th match win in a row and 11th of the new year. That includes five wins so far at Melbourne Park, five in winning the Adelaide International title 10 days ago and one at a Melbourne tournament in the first week of the season.
Her total number of wins in all of 2021? That same number, 11.
“I did everything I could to rest this offseason and focus on starting fresh and new ... starting from zero and not focusing on last year,” Keys said in her on-court interview. “I think it’s going well so far!”
Last week, Keys gave more details on how terrible 2021 was for her.
“I was just at a very high anxiety level all of the time,” Keys said. “I wasn’t sleeping as well. It felt like there was literally a weight on my chest just because I became so focused and obsessed with it that I wasn’t enjoying really anything because it’s all that I was thinking about.”
Krejcikova took a medical timeout while trailing 5-2 in the first set from what might have been heat stress, and appeared to be lethargic at times during the 35-minute second set.
Keys will play either topranked Ash Barty or Jessica Pegula in the semifinals. Barty and Pegula were playing a night match on Rod Laver Arena.
Rafael Nadal’s quest for a men’s record 21st Grand Slam singles title continued against Denis Shapovalov in the late afternoon on Rod Laver. Shapovalov surprised himself by beating third-seeded Alexander Zverev in straight sets. The 22-year-old Canadian has reached the last eight at a Grand Slam for a third time, less than a month after a positive COVID-19 test on arrival in Australia threw his preparation into disarray.
“I’m just really happy with where I am in terms of my game, in terms of the level, right now,” Shapovalov said. Barty hoped to break a 44-year drought for Aussie women at the Australian Open by winning the singles title.
The other men’s quarterfinal on Day 9 between Gael Monfils and Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini closed the night program.