Thursday in Melbourne, World No.1 and Australia’s own Ash Barty looks to advance to her first Australian Open singles final. But a red-hot, big-hitting Madison Keys stands in her way. The second women’s semifinal also includes an American, as Danielle Collins faces Iga Swiatek just over 24 hours after both players survived their quarterfinals in the Aussie heat.
Also on Thursday, the men’s and women’s doubles semifinals will be contested. The top three seeds are still alive in the women’s doubles draw. Two of the top three seeds remain in men’s doubles, alongside two all-Aussie duos.
And Dylan Alcott, recently named Australian of the Year, will play in the quad wheelchair singles final, which will be the last match of his career. It will be a huge day for Australian tennis across multiple disciplines.
Ash Barty (1) vs. Madison Keys – 7:30pm on Rod Laver Arena
This is the second Australian Open semifinal for both women. Barty first appeared at this stage two years ago, while Keys did so in 2015. Both lost those previous semifinals to the eventual champions (Barty to Sofia Kenin, Keys to Serena Williams). Ash has been unstoppable through five rounds. She is yet to drop a set, and allowed her opposition only 17 games across 10 sets. Keys survived a third-set tiebreak in the third round, but otherwise she has also advanced comfortably. Barty leads their head-to-head 2-1, though they’ve only previously met on clay or in the Billie Jean King Cup. Based on Barty’s current form, it’s impossible not to consider her the favorite. However, Keys’ powerful serve and groundstrokes will apply plenty of pressure, as will the expectations that come with playing at her home Slam. And two years ago in the semifinals, Ash wilted on a hot day against another American, Sofia Kenin. But this is the first year where the women’s semifinals are occurring in the evening rather than the day, which will make for cooler conditions. Also, this could become an indoor match based on rain in the forecast. And most importantly, it seems Barty is more prepared to meet this moment than she was two years ago. Her all-around skills, which have separated her from the rest of the tour, make Ash the favorite to reach her third Major singles final.
Iga Swiatek (7) vs. Danielle Collins (27) – Last on Rod Laver Arena
This is the second Major semifinal for both women. Swiatek of course was the 2020 Roland Garros champion, while Collins also reached the semifinals here three years ago. And unlike Barty and Keys, these players did not have a day of rest after their quarterfinals, which were both played midday during the hottest day of the fortnight thus far. Notably, Collins played her match earlier, giving her more time to recover. And she spent less than half as much time on court as Swiatek. Danielle defeated Alize Cornet in straight sets, while Iga needed three sets, and over three hours, to overcome Kaia Kanepi in a physically and emotionally draining quarterfinal. In their only previous encounter, which occurred last February in Adelaide, Swiatek was ahead 6-2, 3-0 before Collins retired. Not too long after, Danielle underwent emergency endometriosis surgery, so it’s quite remarkable how Collins has quickly recovered and played the best tennis of her career. Thanks to back-to-back titles last summer and this semifinal run, she’s poised to become the No.1-ranked American. Normally Swiatek should be favored, but coming off what Iga endured just 24 hours earlier, and considering the fight Collins has displayed both on and off the court, an upset on this day would not be surprising.
Other Notable Matches on Thursday:
Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara (2) vs. Beatriz Haddad Maia and Anna Danilina – The Japanese team won five titles in 2021. However, just two weeks ago in Sydney, Haddad Maia and Danilina defeated Aoyama and Shibahara.
Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova (1) vs. Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens (3) – Krejcikova and Siniakova won Roland Garros, Olympic Gold, and the WTA Finals last year. Kudermetova and Mertens are a new team this season, after being on opposing sides of the net with different partners in last July’s Wimbledon final.
Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos (3) vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios (WC) – The Australians have thrilled crowds in defeating two seeded teams to this stage, including the No.1 seeds. Granollers and Zeballos are yet to drop a set, and won two titles last year.
Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury (2) vs. Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell – Ram and Salisbury are seeking their third consecutive Australian Open final. At the US Open in September, they beat Ebden and Purcell in a third-set tiebreak by a score of 12-10.
Dylan Alcott (1) vs. Sam Schroeder (2) – In his last match before retirement, Alcott is playing for his sixth consecutive Major title. Schroeder is the last man to defeat Alcott at a Major, at the 2020 US Open.
Thursday’s full Order of Play is here.
