'Utterly thwomped': Aus Open star falls after 'monster' performance
America Maddison Keys continued her rise up the rankings after pulling off a shock victory over No.8 seed Paula Badosa at the Australian Open.
Keys was ranked World No.78 at the beginning of the year, but has shown why she was previously a Top 10 star after dismantling Badosa 6-3, 6-1 on Rod Laver Arena.
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A semi-finalist in Melbourne in 2015 and runner-up at the 2017 US Open, Keys had tumbled to 87th in the world before bursting back to form with a drought-breaking title triumph in Adelaide last weekend.
Seemingly free of the hamstring injury that dogged her 2021 season, the one-time World No.7 has continued her revival at the Open.
Unfortunately for Badosa, it was not her day as she struggled from the outset and her shoulder was heavily strapped during the encounter.
The tennis world was full of praise for Keys' stunning rise, while also praising Badosa for her Australian Open run while clearly carrying injuries.
Unstoppable 💯@Madison_Keys is into the #AusOpen quarterfinals for the first time since 2018, taking down Paula Badosa 6-3 6-1. #AO2022 pic.twitter.com/dIGsi7zf5q
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 23, 2022
Madison Keys utterly thwomps #8 Paula Badosa 6-3, 6-1 to reach #AusOpen quarterfinals.
Keys, who was ranked 87th earlier this month, has been soaring back up the charts, continuing her hot streak from her Adelaide title into the Last 8 in Melbourne. Will reenter Top 40 at least.— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) January 23, 2022
Madison Keys plays an excellent match to beat 6th seed Paula Badosa 6-3 6-1 and reach her 8th career slam QF at the Australian Open.
Some outrageous hitting, particularly on her return of serve. Badosa didn’t have much at the end.— Tumaini Carayol (@tumcarayol) January 23, 2022
All the matches and all the injuries seem to have caught up to Paula. Add a red hot Keys and you get what we've just seen. Absolutely superior tennis by Madi, showed all her experience. But Badosa took a huge step forward here. Excited for what's next for her. #AusOpen
— AndrewMc’ (@CheapAbyss) January 23, 2022
"What can I say? Sometimes I was serving 180km/hr. I had to look what the serve said because I didn't understand how a winner came back that fast. I thought I was serving bad. Then I saw it was her game, that she was playing very, very good." ~Badosa on Keys. #AusOpen
— David Kane (@DKTNNS) January 23, 2022
The Adelaide champ beats the Sydney champ 6-3, 6-1.
Not the match I (anyone?) was expecting. Badosa seemed to completely hit the wall but gosh Keys was awesome. 26 winners.
She’s into the QFs of a slam for the first time since Roland Garros 2019.#AusOpen— The Tennis Podcast (@TennisPodcast) January 23, 2022
Paula Badosa knocked out of Aus Open
Under the pump from the get-go, and down a set and a break, Badosa had to fend off 10 break points before finally conjuring one of her own.
Having missed most of her own opportunities, Keys briefly cracked, dumping a forehand into the bottom of the net to offer Badosa a foothold back into the match at 1-1 in the second set.
But the fightback was only temporary as Keys reeled off the next five games to seal victory in just one hour and nine minutes.
"I served really well and returned really well so I was able to dictate," Keys said.
"I knew I was going to have to take my chances and just got for it because I knew if I'd have give her an inch, she would take it."
Keys will play either fourth-seeded French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova or two-time Open winner Victoria Azarenka on Tuesday for a place in the last eight.
with AAP
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