Australian Open | Barbora Krejcikova moves to quarters

(Melbourne) Czech Barbora Krejcikova, 4^and world, dominated the Belarusian Victoria Azarenka (25^and) 6-2, 6-2, Sunday in 8^are finals of the Australian Open and will face the American Madison Keys (51^and) for a place in the semis.

“I wasn’t the favorite so I was just trying to have fun and play my best tennis… and I’m in the quarters! exclaimed Krejcikova.

“Vika won here so she has a lot of experience on this court. So I am extremely happy with my victory,” she added.

Diminished by neck pain, Azarenka, ex-world No.1 and double winner in Melbourne (2012 and 2013), did not put up the same resistance to Krejcikova as the Latvian Jelena Ostapenko had done (27^and) in the previous turn.

At 26, Krejcikova has reached or surpassed 8^are of each of the last four Majors (title at Roland-Garros, 8^are at Wimbledon, quarters at the US Open and therefore at least quarters at Melbourne).

For her part, Madison Keys made short work of the Spaniard Paula Badosa (6^and) 6-3, 6-1 in 1:09.

The 26-year-old American recalled with the on-court manner that while she was currently out of the top 50 (she was even 87^and on January 10), she had reached the 7^and world rank (in 2016) and played a final at the US Open (2017).

” It’s really unbelievable. I served very well and I think I also returned very well,” said the American.

“So on many points I had a small advantage from the first ball and I managed to dictate the rally. I had to take my chance every time she showed up because I knew if I gave her an inch she would take it,” she added.

Semi-finalist in 2015, Keys had been on a downward spiral in Melbourne since her quarter in 2018: she had been eliminated in 8^are in 2019, in the third round in 2020 and had not made the trip last year. She has not played in a Grand Slam quarter-final since Roland-Garros 2019.

Badosa, 24, reached the quarters last year at Roland-Garros, but she had never passed the 2^and tour (2020) in his three previous Melbourne appearances.