
One of tennis’ famed athletes has again received more than a fair share of attention; this time making headlines unpleasant for Iga Swiatek at the Australian Open. A day after making headlines for being a racket abuser after she claimed to have ‘cheated’ her way to victory against Ema Navarro when her return hit the ground twice in their quarterfinal match, the World No. 2 was back in the news again during a high octane semi-final match against Madison Keys.
This time, Swiatek drew criticism for her conduct during a critical moment in the match. Swiatek called for a toilet break after being defeated in the second set 1-6 by Keys before stunning the world by coming back from a 1 sets deficit in the first set, 5-7. As expected, the more experienced Keys immediately got back on the court and prepared for the ultimate set; however, Swiatek was nowhere to be seen, and this bothered the American visibly.
Controversial Delay in the Decider
Later in the match, a more experienced Madison Keys, the 19th seed, crouches at the baseline for Swiatek’s serves, the latter even forcing the chair-umpire to check the rules for delaying the start of the service. When Swiatek emerged back onto court she didn’t automatically go straight to her receiving end. Instead, she was caught practicing on the shadow of the team on the court before the game continued-an action that seemed to make Keys very uncomfortable.
In spite of these interruptions, Keys was able to regain the center of the game and hit an ace to signal something big in the final set. Social media was not slow to respond to Swiatek’s behavior with many of them accusing her of employing ‘dirty tactics’ to halt Keys’ progress.
A Thriller for the Ages
The match as a simple contest was also thrilling and Key’s ground out a strong three-set victory for a place into her maiden final-australians open. The American narrowly beat Swiatek in a thrilling final-set tiebreak, clinching the match 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 after the last set as well as a match point. Again the final was a special moment, because Swiatek had never lost a service game since the first round and this time, she had been broken eight times by Keys.
The semi-final that ended game 2 hours and 35 minutes was the first time of two Australian Open semi-final matches determined by a 10-point tiebreak in the third set. The effusive and emotional Keys, who has had a carreer full of near-misses on her way to reaching Grand Slam finals, was in tears after the tough battle.
“Oh, this match was on a really high level, and she was playing good,” the 29-year-old replied during the interview. That is why it felt like I was just fighting to stay in it. The second set, I really pushing forward and the third was just fighting on. That I am here, standing at the final is so inspiring and that’s the little I have to do. I can’t wait until Saturday to get here.
Swiatek Reflects on the Loss
Swiatek, 23, was very humble during the flight and admitted that the match was always going to hinge on a few decisive moments. ‘At the end, Madison was kind of brave with her decisions and pushed me when she needed to,’ the Polish star admitted. “I would say I was not as liberated as I had been in other games to storm in the critical times,”
This means it brought to an end a fine run in the tournament for Swiatek, and even if her behavior on court is arguable, there can be no doubt about the quality of her game, as well as Keys’ brilliant performance.
Madison Keys: A Journey to the Finals
This will be the first Australian Open final for Madison Keys, and only second career Grand Slam final appearance after the US Open last year. Despite entering the tournament so close to winning numerous times and having familiar issues, Keys said that the semi-final victory felt most like a career-defining achievement.
Her fighting spirit to win against match point and hold her nerve and come through against one of the best players in the world has shown great tenacity in the third set tie break.
Swiatek's Recent Controversies
Recent on court activities of Swiatek instigated controversy surround befitting sportsman like demeanor. The shadow practice, as well as the reported time wasting during the semi-final, builds on the criticism seen after the quarter-final in which she reset a ball that was indisputably had bounced twice. After all, the young lady has a stunning talent, which makes her have many blue-eyed fans; however, such scandals can play a dirty trick on her.
Looking Ahead to the Finals
For Madison Keys, the finals will be the chance to become a Tennis Titan, she is going to play to win her first Major title. But her performance against Swiatek could not have put her in a better position and many feel she is the favorite for the championship match on Saturday.
For the young Swiatek, the loss is extremely painful, but it is also a time to step off the court and think about what happened. To their delight, she is one of the most beautiful athletes in the world of sports and will be keen on coming back stronger and leave the resent incidents in the dusty bin.
It was always going to be the semi-final to remember – an Australian Open semi-final that brought out the drama, the brilliance and the raw emotion. We’ll always fly and for_keys returns that dream come true. For Swiatek, it is something that any champion who has struggled in the most important matches knows perfectly.