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Match Details
Fixture: Madison Keys vs Petra Kvitova.
Tournament: Western & Southern Open.
Date: August 20, 2022.
Round: Semifinals.
Venue: Lindner Family Tennis Center, Ohio, United States.
Category: WTA 1000.
Surface: Hard.
Prize money: $2,527,250.
Match timing: 11 am local time, 5 pm CET, 3 pm GMT, 8:30 pm IST.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - Rogers Sportsnet, TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Madison Keys vs Petra Kvitova preview
Madison Keys and Petra Kvitova will square off in a blockbuster semifinal match at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati on Saturday.
Keys began the season in impressive fashion, winning the title in Adelaide and backing it up with a run to the semifinals of the Australian Open. She couldn't continue her consistency thereafter, with a quarterfinal appearance at Indian Wells and a fourth-round finish at the French Open being her only notable performances.
However, the big-serving American has once again found her range this week in Cincinnati, a tournament she won in 2019. The World No. 24 is yet to drop a set in four matches in what has been a spectacular campaign.
With two of her four scalps, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina, being reigning Grand Slam champions, the 27-year-old will be gunning to continue the momentum and reach her second final in Cincinnati.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, meanwhile, had a quiet start to the season by her lofty standards. In the first five months of the year, the Czech managed to reach just a couple of quarterfinals, which came at Dubai and Miami.
The southpaw then came alive on grass, winning her 29th career title at Eastbourne. However, her Wimbledon campaign was cut short by Paula Badosa in the third round.
The 32-year-old has, however, bounced back this week in Cincinnati. She has dropped a couple of sets in four matches but her fighting spirit has nonetheless stood out. This was evident in her three-set wins over fifth seed Ons Jabeur and Jil Teichmann.
The resurgent Kvitova will be eager to carry the confidence into her last-four clash with Keys.
Madison Keys vs Petra Kvitova head-to-head
Keys and Kvitova are tied at 4-4 in their head-to-head. Incidentally, their last meeting also took place in Cincinnati in 2021. Kvitova came through 7-5, 6-4 in that one.
Madison Keys vs Petra Kvitova odds
(All odds sourced from Oddschecker)
Madison Keys vs Petra Kvitova prediction
With both Keys and Kvitova known for their serve and big ball-striking skills, this has the makings of a classic. The fact that Kvitova is a lefty adds more spice to this matchup.
However, Keys comes into this clash fresher of the two and that could very well tilt the balance in the American's favor. The home hope hasn't conceded a set so far, while the Czech has already dropped two and could find it difficult to stay toe-to-toe with the former champion at the age of 32.
To add to that, Keys has been very sharp in all departments this week. She hit 21 winners past Rybakina in their quarterfinal clash and was merciless on the Kazakh's second serve, winning 33 of 48 points.
Keys also kept it clean with just 16 unforced errors while Rybakina committed 25.
If she manages to replicate the same against Kvitova, the Czech could have a hard time. The two-time Grand Slam champion did blast 29 winners against Ajla Tomljanovic, but Keys could be a different ballgame altogether.
The American looks hungry and confident and loves the conditions at Cincinnati. Kvitova, who has admitted to struggling physically after her third-round match, might find it tough to come back if she concedes an early break of serve.
Pick: Madison Keys to win in two tight sets.
