MELBOURNE – World number one Ashleigh Barty will look to reach her first Australian Open final Thursday but is wary of “exceptional athlete” Madison Keys blocking her path.
The first Grand Slam of the year hits the women’s semi-final stage with top seed Barty trying to stay on course to be the first Australian woman to lift the trophy since 1978 against unseeded Keys.
In the second semi-final, Polish seventh seed Iga Swiatek faces 27th-seeded American Danielle Collins, who is enjoying life and tennis after surgery last year freed her from chronic pain.
Barty is renowned as one of the best tacticians in the game and has out-thought and out-played all her opponents so far while blasting through the top half of the draw without dropping a…
