Adelaide International 2025 Women’s Semifinals Preview: Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys seek spot in the final
WTA
The semifinalists of the Adelaide International have been determined, with Americans Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys leading the charge. The quarterfinals saw the elimination of three seeded players, setting the stage for intriguing matchups in the final WTA tournament before the Australian Open.
Pegula is set to face the talented Kazakh Yulia Putintseva, while Liudmila Samsonova will challenge former US Open runner-up Keys. The matches will take place on Friday as players continue to fine-tune their form ahead of the season’s first Grand Slam.
Keys vs. Samsonova
Madison Keys (No. 20) has demonstrated remarkable consistency throughout her career, showcasing one of the heaviest forehands on the WTA Tour. Just last week, she reached the quarterfinals at the ASB Classic, and now she finds herself in the semifinals in Adelaide with a 5-1 record over the past two weeks. This includes three victories against top-20 players this week.
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Keys opened her campaign with an impressive straight-sets win over Beatriz Haddad Maia (No. 16) and then rallied from a set down to defeat former Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko (No. 17). In the semifinals, she secured her first top-10 win of the season, decisively beating Daria Kasatkina (No. 9) 6-1, 6-3, firing 11 aces against an opponent known for her solid returns.
Now, Keys will face another Russian: Liudmila Samsonova (No. 26), who caused an upset in the quarterfinals by defeating second seed Emma Navarro (No. 8). Samsonova’s path also included wins over Marie Bouzkova and Belinda Bencic. The head-to-head record favours Keys 4-1, though they are tied 1-1 on hard courts. Notably, Samsonova won their quarterfinal meeting at Adelaide in 2022 in three sets.
JPEG 📸@JPegula is on the board first and takes the first set 6-4 over Krueger! #AdelaideTennis pic.twitter.com/WfMJNAQndP
— wta (@WTA) January 9, 2025
Pegula vs. Putintseva
Top seed Jessica Pegula (No. 7) opted for an extra week of rest and skipped the United Cup this year. She began her campaign at the Adelaide International smoothly, defeating Maria Sakkari (No. 32) 6-4, 6-1 and Ashlyn Krueger (No. 51) 6-4, 2-0 (ret.). The American appears to have maintained her high level in 2025 and is the favourite to reach the final.
She will face Kazakh Yulia Putintseva (No. 25), who has shown increased consistency over the past year. The 29-year-old scored three top-10 wins in 2024, including over then-World No. 1 Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon and No. 2 Coco Gauff at the Cincinnati Open.
In Adelaide, Putintseva defeated formidable opponents, including 2024 Olympic silver medallist Donna Vekic (No. 19), Ons Jabeur (No. 40), and Russian sensation Diana Shnaider (No. 13) in a tight quarterfinal clash. Putintseva has reached three hardcourt finals in her career, the last in 2021. The head-to-head record stands at 2-0 in Pegula’s favour, with both wins at the Canadian Open (2022 and 2023).
Momentum with Madison ✨@Madison_Keys advances into the semifinals with a 6-1, 6-3 win over No. 3 seed Kasatkina!#AdelaideTennis pic.twitter.com/REluAnLNiq
— wta (@WTA) January 9, 2025
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
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- I, like writer of this wonderful article, also picked Noskova to win this entire thing. I would love it if she and Andreeva are in the final.Rapunzel12-11-2026
- "Priorities", Saba... spend less time in front of cameras, anti-Social Media, selfies and back to Tennis.
mandoist12-11-2026 - Tell this to Andreeva!mandoist12-11-2026
- Andreeva with 11 games in a row to add to Saba's downward spiral issue !!! Personal feelings aside... Jess Pegula may want to reassess her evaluation of Mirra's abilities.mandoist12-11-2026
- I predicted whenthe list was finalised that Linda Noskova would win the WTA Finals and her matches against Gauff and Kostyuk prove that. She is the best (underrated) player in the world!Rapunzel11-11-2026
- Either Lena has a chronic internal ailment (i.e., colitis, enteritis, Crohn's, or some type of lower abdomen issue) -- or she is once again dealing with 'Vukovitis'. Mental stress can indeed cause lower body pains. No matter... whatever is truly going on sucks. "Virus" excuse is getting a bit old -- and often -- at this point.mandoist09-11-2026
- Ironically, Martina became a U.S. Citizen about the same time as the Orange Convicted Felon & Abuser was just beginning on his road to losing all Daddy's Millions!!mandoist09-11-2026
- "Another fresh start is in the cards." Thanks for the Humor!! I'm guessing this is the minimum one can do to keep all your sponsors hanging-on in perpetuity?mandoist09-11-2026
- Vukov is doing this to Lena... AGAIN!!!!! WTA's autonomous collective should be dismantled for allowing Vukov to re-emerge from his hand-slapping suspension. Just ask WTA employees how that's been going lately as they witness his continued verbal abuses. Women's Pro Tennis should start over.mandoist08-11-2026
- Can't help but suspect Vukov is back to his old self again. Thank you, WTA. Perhaps you can give them a "Battling Couple of the Year Award 2026" ??mandoist08-11-2026
