Keys Digs Deep to Advance in Melbourne
Defending champion Madison Keys battles nerves and an unorthodox qualifier to secure a gritty first-round win at the Australian Open, setting the stage for her title defense amid early draw shakeups.
In the humid glare of Rod Laver Arena, Madison Keys stepped out as the ninth seed and title defender, her powerful baseline game tested right away in this Australian Open opener. The American, marking her 12th appearance here and 50th Grand Slam overall, watched Oleksandra Oliynykova seize control early, the Ukrainian qualifier racing to a 4-0 lead in the first set with high lobs that forced Keys deep behind the baseline. Oliynykova’s debut in the main draw brought a bag of tricks—moonshot lobs, sharp slices, and tireless retrievals—that disrupted the rhythm on these pacey hard courts.
Keys clawed back to force a tiebreak, only to face another 4-0 hole there, her heavy topspin forehands occasionally sailing long under the pressure. The set stretched to 1 hour, 12 minutes, with Oliynykova squandering two set points before Keys stole it 7-6 (6). In the second, the champion’s pace overwhelmed, wrapping it 6-1 as the qualifier’s energy faded.
“Obviously I was very nervous at the start,” Keys said in her on-court interview. “As nervous as I was ... I’m really glad to be back, and that I got through that match.”
Nerves test the champion’s resolve
The early deficit echoed the mental weight of defending a major, Keys admitting the jitters hit hard after last year’s run. Oliynykova‘s unorthodox style—mixing change of pace with underspin and speed—kept the seed off balance, turning clean rallies into chaotic scrambles. Keys praised the effort, calling it “definitely not the typical style that you see every day,” while noting the opponent’s quickness in chasing down balls.
As the match wore on, Keys shifted to more crosscourt patterns, drawing Oliynykova forward with inside-out forehands to expose her setup. The crowd’s energy built with each point, Oliynykova waving her Ukrainian flag post-match amid applause and autographs, her grit earning respect. This rally drained the qualifier, allowing Keys’ 1–2 punch from the baseline to dominate, her serves finding sharper angles down the line.
Upsets reshape the women’s bracket
Tuesday’s results added volatility, with Indonesian Janice Tjen upsetting 22nd-seeded Leylah Fernandez 6-2, 7-6 (1), the Indonesian’s steady returns breaking through in the tiebreak. Czech Tereza Valentova followed by toppling Australia’s 30th-seeded Maya Joint 6-4, 6-4, her aggressive forehands exploiting home-crowd pressure. Local Taylah Preston grinded past China’s Zhang Shuai 6-3, 2-6, 6-3, her resilience shining in the decider.
These shocks thinned the field, easing paths for survivors like Keys, who leaned on veteran adjustments to navigate the chaos. The hard courts’ medium bounce rewarded her power once settled, but the early wobble signals the draw’s unpredictability. Night sessions loomed with two-time defending men’s champion Jannik Sinner facing France’s Hugo Gaston , his precision clashing against flair, while two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka prepared for Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic .
For Keys, the win resets her focus, blending power with patience as Melbourne’s summer tests deepen. Her path forward hinges on sustaining that second-set fire, turning qualifier surprises into momentum for another title push.