Key events
Tumaini Carayol is at Melbourne Park and writes in his preview:
As she returns to Rod Laver Arena to battle the two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, Keys will walk on to the court with plenty of reasons to be nervous, with memories of her first grand-slam final experience and a painful three-sets loss to the Belarusian in the semi-finals of the 2023 US Open. But with time, introspection and 16 years of experience behind her, Keys has learned to accept the stress that comes with these lofty occasions.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to game by game coverage of the women’s singles Australian Open final.
Aryna Sabalenka, the world No 1, has 20 consecutive wins at Melbourne, winning all but two matches in straight sets. She is bidding to become the first woman to three-peat the grand slam title since Martina Hingis from 1997-1999.
Standing in her way is Madison Keys, who is fresh off eliminating Iga Swiatek in the first women’s semi-final to be decided by a 10-point tie-break. The world No 14 will be hoping all her hard work thus far leads to her maiden slam.
Sabalenka and Keys are two of the heaviest hitters in the game and we can expect a fast-paced final with plenty of fast serves and topspin forehands.
Our expected start time in Melbourne is 7.30pm AEDT / 8.30am GMT. Join me.
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