Former US Open finalist Madison Keys has warmed up for the Australian Open in strong form winning an all-American final of the WTA tournament in Adelaide against Alison Riske yesterday.
The 26-year-old Keys never allowed her compatriot a look into the contest powering her way to a 6-1, 6-2 victory in just over an hour to claim her sixth WTA title.
The former world No. 7 Keys, who has slipped to her current 87th-ranking due to injuries and a form slump in recent years, had progressed to the final after overcoming a leg injury to beat third-seed Coco Gauff in three sets in another all-American match up in the semi-finals.
Photo: AFP
Keys yesterday showed why she has been a top-10 player with her powerful serve and attacking ground strokes proving too hot to handle for Riske as Keys claimed the first set in 29 minutes.
The 57th-ranked Riske then lost her opening service game of the second set from which she never recovered as Keys broke again late in the second set and then served it out for her first title since winning at Cincinnati in 2019.
Keys has a tricky Australia Open first-round opponent in American world No. 12 and 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin.
Photo: AFP
Riske is to play Donna Vekic in the first round at Melbourne Park.
In the men’s draw in Adelaide, Thanasi Kokkinakis won his first career ATP title, beating Arthur Rinderknech 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 in the final at the Memorial Drive Tennis Centre.
Additional reporting by staff writer
Photo: EPA-EFE
SYDNEY TENNIS CLASSIC
AFP and Reuters, SYDNEY
Paula Badosa yesterday issued an ominous warning ahead of the Australian Open by beating French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova in a three-set thriller to win the Sydney Classic.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The world No. 9 from Spain prevailed 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) in 2 hours, 22 minutes after hitting 32 winners and 12 aces.
“We both went to the limit today. We both broke into the top 100 a few years ago and now we are playing in a big final,” Badosa said after defeating the fourth-ranked Czech.
They are on course to meet again at the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, which is to begin tomorrow.
In the men’s final, former world No. 1 Andy Murray’s quest for a first ATP title in more than two years ended in defeat at the hands of top seed Aslan Karatsev, with the Russian easing his way to a 6-3, 6-3 win.
Murray, playing in his first final since the European Open in Antwerp in October 2019, started tentatively and was broken in the first game of the match as Karatsev raced into an early lead after a couple of solid holds.
Three-time major winner Murray struggled on serve throughout the opening set, landing just 48 percent of his first serves and committing four double faults.
The second set began much like the first as the 28-year-old Karatsev broke early to seize the advantage, consistently hurting Murray with a barrage of powerful winners from the back of the court.
Murray showed glimpses of his old self in the fifth game, which lasted nearly 13 minutes, as the Briton battled valiantly to get a break back, but Karatsev weathered the storm and held on, eventually taking the match in 1 hour, 32 minutes to claim his third career title.
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