Melbourne – Barbora Krejcikova and Madison Keys will play each other for a place in the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
French Open winner Krejcikova and former US Open finalist Keys advanced to the quarter-finals in Melbourne on Sunday with emphatic victories. World number four Krejcikova preserved her title chance with a 6-2, 6-2 win over two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka of Belarus. The Czech had failed to make it past the second round in her two previous appearances at the first Grand Slam tournament of the season.
“I admire Vica. She is a champion here. I’m extremely happy that I won today. It’s hard to find words,” said the 26-year-old Czech. She made her victory perfect in 1:25 hours. Asarenka had treatment on her neck during the match.
Keys, also 26, earlier needed just 69 minutes for her 6-3, 6-1 win over Spanish top-ten player Paula Badosa. Keys had reached the final at the US Open in 2017, and her best-ever result at the Australian Open was a semi-final in 2015. “I’m just enjoying playing tennis again,” said the world number 51.
All three German women – Angelique Kerber, Andrea Petkovic and Tatjana Maria – had already been eliminated in the first round. Petkovic was without a chance in her opening match against Krejcikova.
In the men’s doubles, the Grand Slam comeback of Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies came to an end. In the round of 16, the two-time French Open winners of the doubles competition were clearly defeated by fifth seed John Peers from Australia and Filip Polasek from Slovakia 1:6, 2:6. Polasek and Peers had proved their good form before the Australian Open by winning the title at the tournament in Sydney. There, the two Germans had reached the semi-finals. Last season, the two were unable to compete together due to a knee operation by Mies.