Ashleigh Barty vs Madison Keys Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Australian Open

Prediction published on 26/01/2022, 08:10  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 26/01/2022 at 09:10 in Tennis Predictions

The dream triumph is getting closer for Ashleigh Barty. The world number one takes on Madison Keys in the Australian Open semi-finals, a tournament she is yet to win. Barty has won 14 WTA Tour titles but only two Grand Slams in Paris and at Wimbledon last year. Her dream is to win her home Grand Slam and the top seed is in the form to do just that. Barty began this year by winning the second Adelaide International tournament, losing just one set. That form has continued in the Australian Open, an event in which her best performance has been a semi-final in 2020. That feat has been equalled and no sets have been dropped by the world number one. Barty only lost two games when beating Jessica Pegula in the last eight, making it just 17 games conceded in her five matches. The Australian has played Keys on three previous occasions and has a 2-1 lead. Her first match against the American was lost, that was five years ago though at the French Open when Barty was ranked 76th in the world. Barty has won the two meetings that have followed, the most recent being in the 2019 French Open quarter final with Barty winning in straight sets.

Madison Keys was as low as 87th in the rankings earlier this month. However, the former top ten player has been zooming up the rankings since then. Keys won the other Adelaide tournament with wins over players such as Coco Gauff and Elina Svitolina. Her form has continued with this run to the semi-finals of the Australian Open for the second time, the other being seven years ago. The American is now up to 28th in the live rankings and a surprise win here will see her climb to 21st. Keys has had wins over Sofia Kenin, Jaqueline Cristian, Wang Qian (the only match in which she's dropped a set), eighth seeded Paula Badosa and in the last eight, fourth seeded Barbora Krejcikova. Only nine games have been dropped in beating those two seeded players. Keys is in good form, but Barty cannot be opposed here.