American Madison Keys is making her return to a Grand Slam final after an eight-year break, having defeated No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek with a score of 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8) in the semifinals of the Australian Open.

Her opponent will be Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion of the Australian Open and the world No. 1, who triumphed over Paula Badosa with a scoreline of 6-4, 6-2 in her semifinal match.

Keys made an impressive comeback after saving a match point while trailing in the third-set tiebreaker against the five-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek. This win marks her first Grand Slam final since she lost to Sloane Stephens at the 2017 U.S. Open. The 29-year-old Keys is seeded at No. 19 and will climb back into the WTA’s Top 10 rankings next week following this tournament.

Sabalenka is on a remarkable 20-match winning streak in Melbourne and is aiming to become the first woman since Martina Hingis in 1999 to win three consecutive Australian Open titles.

In their previous encounters, Sabalenka leads with 4 wins to 1 over Keys. Their last match took place at the China Open in October, where Sabalenka secured a 6-4, 6-3 victory in the Round of 16.

Madison Keys’ Path to the Finals

Here’s how No. 19 seed Madison Keys reached the final against Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open:

• First round: Defeated Ann Li (USA) 6-4, 7-5
• Second round: Defeated qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse (ROU) 7-6 (1), 2-6, 7-5
• Third round: Defeated No. 10 Danielle Collins (USA) 6-4, 6-4
• Fourth round: Defeated No. 6 Elena Rybakina (KAZ) 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
• Quarterfinals: Defeated No. 28 Elina Svitolina (UKR) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
• Semifinals: Defeated No. 2 Iga Swiatek (POL) 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8)

Aryna Sabalenka’s Journey to the Semifinals

Here’s how No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka got to her meeting with Madison Keys at the Australian Open:

• First round: Defeated Sloane Stephens (USA) 6-3, 6-2
• Second round: Defeated Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (ESP) 6-3, 7-5
• Third round: Defeated Clara Tauson (DEN) 7-6 (7-5), 6-4
• Fourth round: Defeated (14) Mirra Andreeva 6-1, 6-2
• Quarterfinals: Defeated (27) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
• Semifinals: Defeated (11) Paula Badosa (ESP) 6-4, 6-2

Viewing Details for Madison Keys vs. Aryna Sabalenka

Time: The match is set to start at 3:30 a.m. ET on Saturday (7:30 p.m. in Melbourne).

TV: You can watch it live on ESPN and stream it online via ESPN+. Additionally, Fubo also offers streaming for the match with a free trial option.