Madison Keys breaks Rybakina’s resolve to set up Australian Open quarter-final clash with Svitolina

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Madison Keys pulled off a major upset by defeating sixth seed Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open fourth round.

The 19th-seeded American triumphed 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 on Margaret Court Arena, extending her impressive winning streak to nine matches. Her aggressive gameplay proved too much for Rybakina, who struggled with a back injury sustained in her third-round victory.

Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina, 25, showed glimpses of resilience in the second set but was unable to sustain her momentum. Despite winning four consecutive games to take the set, Keys ultimately regained control in the decider.

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“Her serve is such a weapon, so I knew that if I could just try to make at least some of her service games a little bit competitive, then I had a chance,” said Keys. “So I was basically just trying to make anything that I could get my racquet on back over the net, which worked sometimes.”

The Kazakh star, who was last year’s Melbourne finalist, entered the tournament with high hopes but found herself hampered by her injury. She admitted after her previous match that she would need “magic” to advance further in the competition.

Keys secures win with second match point

Keys, however, remained focused and found ways to neutralize Rybakina’s powerful serve. At 3-3 in the final set, she took charge, eventually sealing victory with a stunning cross-court winner on her second match point.

Next up for Keys is a quarter-final clash with Ukraine’s 28th seed Elina Svitolina, who also impressed in her fourth-round match. Svitolina cruised past Russian Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 6-1 to secure her spot in the last eight.

The 30-year-old Ukrainian, appearing in her 12th Grand Slam quarter-final, attributed her fighting spirit to her heritage. “This fighting spirit that I have is completely Ukrainian spirit that I try to show, that I try to represent, as well,” said Svitolina.

“For me to find a way to win matches, to find a way to bring a little light, a little win for Ukrainian people, is something that I feel I am responsible of. To bring the fight is the least that I can do.”

With both Keys and Svitolina displaying determination and grit, their quarter-final clash promises to be a thrilling contest. Fans will undoubtedly look forward to an intense battle as the tournament progresses.

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