Ashleigh Barty has dropped just 17 games over her first five matches at the Australian Open, a dominant display that has her one match away from making the final at her home Grand Slam.
Barty will face Madison Keys in the semifinals on Thursday, with the Australian entering as a heavy -480 favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Barty steamrolling opponents at Australian Open
In the quarterfinals, Barty trounced No. 21 seed Jessica Pegula by a 6-2, 6-0 score. So far, the two-time Grand Slam winner has faced little resistance in her bid to claim her first Australian Open title. She’s never made the finals in Melbourne, though this is her second semifinals appearance.
“I’m just having fun,†Barty said after beating Pegula. “Each and every opponent has been different, each and every opponent has presented me with a different challenge and forced me to use another tool in my toolbox.â€
Keys comes into the semifinals as a +360 underdog. The American defeated French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova 6-3, 6-2 in the quarterfinals to win her 10th straight match, dating back to her Adelaide International title.
| Australian Open Odds – Women’s Semifinals (via FanDuel Sportsbook) | |
| No. 1 Ashleigh Barty: -480 | Madison Keys: +360 |
| No. 27 Danielle Collins: +142 | No. 7 Iga Swiatek: -166 |
That marked Keys’ first tournament win since 2019. She’s already won as many matches this year – 11 – as she did in all of 2021.
“I did everything I could to rest this offseason and focus on starting fresh and new,†Keys said after her quarterfinal win. “I think it’s going well so far.â€
Swiatek survives heat to advance to semis
While Barty stands as a clear favorite to win the Australian Open women’s title, Iga Swiatek rates as her closest competition. Swiatek survived a three-hour, three-set match against veteran Kaia Kanepi on Wednesday to advance 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3.
Swiatek battled both Kanepi and the heat – the temperature reached 97 degrees – in order to move on to the semifinals.
“This match was crazy,†Swiatek said afterward. “First set, I think my mistake was I had so many break points, I felt like I missed my chances.â€
Swiatek will advance to play Danielle Collins in the semifinals. The No. 27-seeded Collins will make her second appearance in the Australian Open semis, last doing so in 2019.
Collins defeated Alize Cornet 7-5, 6-1 in the quarterfinals. The American is coming back this year after undergoing surgery to treat endometriosis in 2021.
“To be able to get back to this level and be able to compete like the way I have been and being able to be as physical as I have has been so rewarding,†Collins said. “I feel pretty good right now.â€
Oddsmakers expect Collins to give Swiatek a true test in the semifinals. FanDuel lists Swiatek as just a -172 favorite over Collins (+146) in their matchup.
Barty (-195) looms as a favorite over the right of the Australian Open women’s field. Swiatek is the +440 second choice, ahead of Keys (+750) and Collins (+900).