- The 19th seed defeats world No 1 6-3, 2-6, 7-5
- American claims her first grand slam title
On a glorious duel of the highest quality in Melbourne, Madison Keys played the greatest match of her life to outhit Aryna Sabalenka and win her first grand slam title, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5.
Now 29 years old, Keys’s supreme, long-awaited triumph has afforded her the title of the fourth-oldest first time women’s grand slam champion in the open era. She has achieved it in her 46th grand slam appearance, the second highest count for a first-time champion in the open era. Two days after her incredible, instant classic triumph over Iga Swiatek, the world No 2, Keys is the first player to defeat both of the top two players at a grand slam since Svetlana Kuznetsova won the 2009 French Open.
