The Madison Keys who will play two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka for the title at the Australian Open on Saturday night is not the same Madison Keys who was the runner-up at the U.S.

Madison Keys has learnt plenty since her last, and first, grand slam final – mainly to embrace the prospect of being “uncomfortable 99 per cent of the time”.

Sabelenka will face 19th seed Madison Keys for the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, with the American having produced one of the shocks of the tournament to beat Iga Swiatek in a final-set tiebreak to secure a dramatic 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8) victory.

Madison Keys stunned Iga Swiatek to set up an Australian Open final against two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.

Madison Keys has charged into the Australian Open final and will meet two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday’s championship (3 a.m. ET, ESPN).

With women’s tennis on the verge of an epic showdown between its top two players with the Australian Open title on the line, Keys, the 29-year-old American, crashed the party. She stormed back against Iga Swiatek to win their semifinal 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8)

American Madison Keys beat No. 2 seeded Iga Swiatek in a thrilling 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(8) victory in the semifinals, defeating Swiatek in two hours and 38 minutes to advance to her first Australian Open final.