Keys, the No. 19 seed and a two-time semifinalist at Melbourne Park, had won the first set. But Rybakina, who like Keys is a precise winner machine when she is playing the tennis she wants to play, had taken the second by seizing the initiative and playing on her front foot. Halfway to the finish, Keys had become a passive counterpuncher.

Madison Keys matched her best Grand Slam performance in seven-plus years, as the 19th-seeded U.S. player overtook 28th-seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open on Wednesday in Melbourne.

World No.2 Iga Swiatek powered past No.8 Emma Navarro at the Australian Open to advance to her first Grand Slam semifinal since Roland Garros.

Andy Schooler previews the women's semi-final action at the Australian Open on Thursday, including Madison Keys v Iga Swiatek.

Madison Keys felt her career was all but over when she lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals of the 2023 U.S. Open. The veteran American was selective about the events she played in 2024, achieving little success in the tournaments she entered.