Elina Svitolina got off to a strong start to her Australian Open quarterfinal match but then an inspired Madison Keys made a huge comeback to win 3-6 6-3 6-4.
After no breaks were seen through the first six games, the 28th-seeded Ukrainian won three games in a row to clinch the opener.
Down by a set, the American seeded at No. 19 earned her first break in the sixth game of the second set before serving out for a decider three games later.
In the third set, Keys collected a break in the fifth game and that was enough for her to complete her big comeback and set up a semifinal against either Iga Swiatek or Emma Navarro.
Throughout the match, the No. 19 seed was extremely aggressive and ultimately it paid off - she finished with six aces and 49 winners - and although she also had 41 unforced errors - she was making shots when it mattered the most.
For the American, it was her 10th consecutive win, having made it all the way at the Adelaide International before coming to Melbourne.
Svitolina noted she expected a very tough job against Keys
After beating Veronika Kudermetova to make the Australian Open quarterfinal, the Ukrainian said it was business time and noted that every match onwards would be a very difficult task.
Now it's actually where the tournament starts you're playing against the players who have been here for many times and know how to deal with different kind of pressure situations, she said before facing the American.
I need to put my head down and put the work in I believe that I can make it.
While Svitolina didnt do much wrong against Keys - she had 20 winners and 15 unforced errors - the American had the control of the match and that ultimately made the difference.
