It’s down to the last four in the Australian Open, and Iga Swiatek is set to battle Madison Keys for a spot in her first AO finals! Both players have shown their best form leading up to this match. Swiatek dominated Emma Navarro in the quarters, while Keys fought hard to defeat Elina Svitolina in three sets. Keys is no stranger to the semi-finals, having made it this far in 2015 and 2022. But facing a former World No. 1 and five-time Grand Slam champion like Swiatek is no easy task. Still, Andy Roddick believes this matchup could play to Keys’ advantage.

On the Wednesday’s episode of the ‘Served’ podcast, Roddick broke down the potential threats each player poses. He acknowledged that facing Swiatek is tough for Madison, but he sees an X-factor in her game. He said, “The match-up with Keys vs Swiatek right now is going to bother Swiatek more, in my opinion. Props to Emma Navarro, it’s like she grinded out a quarterfinal without her fastball. Didn’t have her best stuff for the entire tournament and that’s the kind of stuff that keeps you in the top ten. Great showing for Emma Navarro, even though Iga was just too good.”

“Iga’s an All-Time Great. She’s won five Slams already. We have to give credit to the all-time greats. They just force you. They can run you out of the building when they’re playing great and they get through matches when they’re not,” he added.

Swiatek has been untouchable, not dropping a set and conceding just 14 games so far. Keys, on the other hand, has had to grind through tough matches, including a three-set comeback win over Elina Svitolina. With fatigue possibly playing a role, it’ll be exciting to see how Keys handles Swiatek’s relentless consistency and all-court game. So why does Roddick think Madison poses a threat?

He pointed out that “Speed to the forehand is how you bother Iga Swiatek.” While Swiatek excels with her precision and court coverage, Keys’ raw power and aggressive baseline style stand out. Swiatek relies on spin-heavy shots and speed, while the American uses big serves and powerful groundstrokes to dictate points.

Although Swiatek leads their head-to-head 4-1, Keys is on a ten-match win streak after her Adelaide International title.

Both players are hungry for victory—Swiatek aims for her first Aussie Open final, while Keys chases her first Slam final since 2017. Roddick isn’t alone in thinking this matchup could challenge Swiatek; even former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki thinks likewise!

Former World No.1 backs up Madison Keys ahead of SF clash

Iga Swiatek has been unstoppable at the Australian Open, storming into the semi-finals without dropping a set. She dominated Kateřina Siniaková, Rebecca Šramková, Emma Raducanu, and Eva Lys in straight sets before dismantling 8th seed Emma Navarro 6-1, 6-2 in the quarters. Caroline Wozniacki weighed in on the upcoming semi-final during a chat with Rennae Stubbs on ‘The Rennae Stubbs Podcast.’

She noted, “At the same time, you have Keys, who’s been playing extremely well, she has a lot of power. She can beat anyone on a good day. She can also lose to Svitolina. You know Madison has been playing so well, I think she feels more relaxed now too.”

Despite a shaky start to the season with a quarter-final exit at the ASB Classic, Madison bounced back by beating Jessica Pegula in Adelaide and has since taken down Ann Li, Elena-Gabriela Ruse, Danielle Collins, and No. 6 seed Elena Rybakina at the AO. In the quarters, she showed grit by rallying from a set down to defeat Elina Svitolina 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

The stakes are high for the upcoming SF clash. Do you think Swiatek will overcome Keys’ raw power and aggressive playing style to make it to the finals in Melbourne? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!