MELBOURNE:
A jittery Madison Keys mentioned Tuesday she was “too timid” after getting the defence of her Australian Open crown off to a stuttering begin, shedding the primary 4 video games earlier than rallying to remain within the title hunt.
The American ninth seed was a bundle of nerves on Rod Laver Area, however calmed right down to clinch a 7-6 (8/6), 6-1 win over Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova.
Keys surprised Aryna Sabalenka 12 months in the past in a three-set epic to win her first main crown on the age of 29, however she didn’t push on in 2025, successful no extra titles.
She began her season with quarter-final exits at Brisbane and Adelaide, admitting earlier than the Grand Slam to being nervous as defending champion.
“I believe at first I simply felt like I used to be enjoying just a bit timid and not likely trusting my first intuition,” she mentioned.
“I form of saved altering my thoughts on what I really needed to do.
“That was actually slowing down my footwork as properly. I used to be reacting as an alternative of getting a plan of what I needed to do.”
Enjoying at her fiftieth Grand Slam, in distinction to Oliynykova who was at her first, Keys despatched down three double faults and was damaged on her first service recreation.
The Ukrainian, ranked 92 and going through a participant inside the highest 50 for the primary time, consolidated with a maintain after six deuces within the second recreation to take cost.
Exhibiting no nerves, she surprised the American by breaking once more and raced 4-0 clear earlier than Keys lastly awoke and battled again.
She lower down on the errors and located her vary on serve to win the following 5 video games.
However Keys was damaged once more and it went to a tiebreak, the place she slumped 4-0 behind and needed to save two set factors earlier than changing for the set with a blistering crosscourt winner.
The gritty comeback was the catalyst for a much more convincing second set, breaking right away and racing right into a 4-0 lead earlier than sealing the match with ease after 1hr 40min.
Regardless of the shaky begin, Keys mentioned it was a privilege to be again as defending champion.
“I’ve been pondering of that second for principally a 12 months,” she mentioned of returning to the scene of her best triumph.
“I used to be speaking to (a number of Grand Slam winner) Lindsay Davenport yesterday.
“She jogged my memory that not many individuals get to be a defending champion at a Grand Slam, so simply attempting to embrace it and revel in it.
“And, as nervous as I used to be at first, I am actually glad to be again and to win that match.”
Rybakina powers on
Former finalist Elena Rybakina warned Tuesday if her serve was firing she could be a risk on the Australian Open, after reinforcing her title credentials with a snug first-round victory.
The fifth seed, who misplaced the 2023 ultimate in three robust units to Aryna Sabalenka, despatched Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan packing 6-4, 6-3 along with her serve proving a potent weapon.
Rybakina gained 83 % of her first-serve factors to maintain up her file of safely negotiating the primary hurdle at each Grand Slam for the reason that 2022 US Open.
“Irrespective of who’s on the opposite aspect, if the serve goes, then it is good,” she mentioned after routinely racing to 40-0 leads and holding to like thrice.
“After all, little issues (to work on) on the serve. Perhaps alter, be higher within the first few photographs of the rally, then we are going to see how it’ll go.
“However I am pleased with the serve, it actually labored immediately.”
It was her second serve that really separated her from Juvan, successful 10 of 18 factors behind it and never going through a break level till the ultimate recreation of the match.
Rybakina, who gained Wimbledon in 2022, faces France’s Varvara Gracheva subsequent.
“We performed earlier than. I believe she’s a harmful participant. She will be able to play rather well on the baseline. She will be able to get good serves,” Rybakina mentioned.
