After an hour and 16 minutes, it was 7-5, 1-6. That’s when the drama began.
The deciding set began with six holds and two break-point saves, one from each player.
A seventh hold followed, and while no break points were saved, it may have been the most impressive hold of all. (Until it wasn’t.) With Keys serving at 30-all, she stuck an inside-out forehand winner from behind the baseline, followed by a backhand winner off Swatek’s second-serve return. She showed she was in for the fight, and in retrospect this was probably a must-win game.
Swiatek answered with a steely hold for 4-all. Following a poor overhead miss at 15-30, she saved two break points—one after a giant Keys second-serve return at 30-40 that Swiatek amazingly kept in.
The dam seemed like it would break when Keys went down 0-40 in the next game. But she saved all three break points (making all three first serves). Then, after Swiatek claimed an 18-ball rally, Keys saved a fourth break point in the game—before holding for 5-4 with a winner.
Keys then held from 15-30 for 5-5.
