At the peak of their powers, Madison Keys and Karolina Pliskova hold their own in discussions of most revered ball-strikers on tour.
Blessed with a weight of shot most could only dream of, the two over-30s were in the mix for more than a decade as among the best players without a major to their name.
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What a difference a year has made.
On Saturday, ninth seed Keys booked a fourth-round berth with a 6-3 6-3 victory over the Czech – her 10th straight win at Melbourne Park having shaken her Grand Slam hoodoo at last year’s Australian Open.
“I'd give myself a little pat on the back for that and happy to get through that match and into the fourth round,” Keys said.
“Gives you a confidence boost when you're pushed that you kind of find your best tennis. And I think that's always a big thing for me, just really trying to trust my game in those moments and believing in myself and being OK with no matter which way they go. As long as I back myself, I'm trying to do the right things.”
While Keys was on her career-defining run to the silverware 12 months ago, Pliskova was back home in snowy surrounds, forced to miss the season’s first Slam due to a left ankle injury.
It was only the beginning of a torrid year in which she did not contest a tour-level match due to two surgeries on the ankle and a subsequent post-operative infection.
Now aged 33 and having admitted her ankle would likely never be the same, Pliskova had accepted that major title was unlikely.
Only a year ago, Keys had accepted the same fate before she embarked on her most unexpected fortnight.
This was her first experience of a Slam as a defending champion and after struggling to find her flow in her opening match, the American has warmed to the challenge through ensuing rounds. In just 19 minutes, she charged to a 4-0 lead at Rod Laver Arena.
This is Pliskova’s first tour-level event since the 2024 US Open, so rust was to be expected.
The former WTA ace queen was only winning 44 per cent of points on first serve at this point and needed to find some rhythm quickly to stem the flow and regain some confidence.
It took more than 10 minutes, but she finally held to put her name on the board and gave a glimpse of the old days when she effortlessly crunched a forehand winner on the run on her way to a break for 2-4.
The pair had met only once prior – in the 2020 Brisbane International final, which the Czech won in a three-set thriller – and Keys was determined not to be dragged into another drawn-out affair as the mercury crept up.
Having dropped three straight games, Keys reasserted herself and two games later, four backhand winners in a row landed her the opening set in 43 minutes.
The reigning champion, who admitted she thrived in hot conditions being a Floridian, had found her groove and snatched the only break of the second set in the eighth game before she comfortably crossed the finish line.
She finished with 25 winners, including six aces, to set a last-16 showdown against good friend and sixth seed Jessica Pegula.
Pliskova’s first foray to the third round at a major since 2023 was already a triumph given her struggles.
For both women, there is a level of acceptance at whatever comes next.
As Keys enters the second week of her Grand Slam title defence, it is entirely a focus on the present.
“I think at this point it's become old news a little bit,” Keys said. “So definitely feeling a lot more comfortable. At this point just really trying to keep my head down and just take care of my matches and worry about what's directly in front of me.”