Melbourne (Australia) – American Madison Keys defeated two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in the Australian Open final on Saturday evening to claim her first Grand Slam title at the age of 29.
By adding that win over top-seeded Sabalenka to the elimination of second-seeded Iga Swiatek in the semifinals on Thursday — saving a match point along the way — Keys became the first woman since Serena Williams in 2005 to defeat both players. The top two WTA players at Melbourne Park.
Keys, seeded 14th and 19th seed, was playing her second major final after finishing runner-up at the 2017 US Open.
It prevented Sabalenka from capturing her third consecutive women's title at the Australian Open, something Martina Hingis last achieved from 1997-99, and her fourth major title overall.
