INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Revenge can be a pretty strong motivator, and it was on full display Friday night at Indian Wells as Aryna Sabalenka got more than a measure of it against Madison Keys.
Seven weeks after losing to Keys in a three-set heartbreaker in the Australian Open final, Sabalenka took advantage of a far different version of Keys. Sabalenka dismantled Keys 6-0, 6-1 in 51 minutes.
Sabalenka will face Mirra Andreeva, the 17-year-old Russian, in Sunday’s final. Andreeva, currently the hottest player in women’s tennis, beat Iga Swiatek 7-6(1), 1-6, 6-3 in Friday’s other semifinal.
The match was never close to being in doubt. Keys struggled from the beginning to keep her balls on the court and get them over the net. Sabalenka can be one of the most relentless opponents in the game. She didn’t need to be Friday night.
Keys raised her arms in triumph when she finally won a game. It was a tiny victory in a match with barely any of them.
The loss ended a remarkable winning streak for Keys that began in Adelaide the week before the Australian Open. She won five matches there, seven more at the Australian Open and four more here. After beating Belinda Bencic in the quarterfinals, Keys said she had never felt more confident.
“I think the reality of winning as many…
