By Shrivathsa Sridhar MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys made rocky starts on Thursday but eventually secured contrasting victories to set up a heavy metal Australian Open final showdown that will pit two of the game's big hitters against each other.

Plus, Ben Shelton gets the chance to end the American men's drought at a Grand Slam when he faces Jannik Sinner in the semis

By Shrivathsa Sridhar and Ian Ransom MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys made sluggish starts on Thursday but sealed contrasting victories to set up an Australian Open final showdown that will pit two of the game's heavy hitters against each other.

Australian Open has been intense, with the men's and women's singles tournaments heating up. Here's what to know about the current bracket.

Madison Keys advanced to her second-career Grand Slam final with an epic upset of No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek at the 2025 Australian Open. The 19th-seeded

Serbian legend Novak Djokovic takes on German world number 2 Alexander Zverev, and Jannik Sinner meets Ben Shelton at the Australia Open men's singles semi-finals. Follow live updates from the sports world on Friday,

Jannik Sinner is pushing for a second consecutive Australian Open crown in 2025. The world No. 1 remains the favourite to take out this year's tournament, but must first navigate through the semi-finals.

Margaret Court and Novak Djokovic played in two different tennis eras that were a world apart. Both were champions of their time and won 24 grand slam titles. Djokovic is aiming for more.