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Match details
Fixture: (16) Iga Swiatek vs Madison Keys
Date: 12 May 2021
Tournament: Internazionali BNL d'italia 2021
Round: Second round (Round of 32)
Venue: Rome, Italy
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: €1,577,613
Match timing: Approx. 4 pm local time, 7.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Iga Swiatek vs Madison Keys preview
The second round of the 2021 Italian Open will see reigning Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek take on former top 10 player Madison Keys on Wednesday.
Swiatek has won nine of her last 10 matches on clay, and has been playing some fine tennis in recent months. The Pole did lose to World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty in the third round of the Madrid Open last week though, and will be keen to move past that disappointment by putting up a good showing in Rome.
Keys on her part scored a hard-fought win over fellow American Sloane Stephens in her first match here. The 26-year-old needed two and half hours to score a come-from-behind win, edgeing Stephens 7-5 in the decider.
Keys has struggled to find her best tennis since her return from injury in February. She entered Rome with a poor 2-5 win-loss for 2021, but the win over Stephens would have given her some much-needed confidence.
Iga Swiatek vs Madison Keys head-to-head
This is set to be the first career meeting between Iga Swiatek and Madison Keys, so their current head-to-head stands at a 0-0 deadlock.
Iga Swiatek vs Madison Keys prediction
Iga Swiatek enters the match as a firm favorite, given both her ranking and recent form. But Madison Keys, a former finalist here, is more than capable of causing some trouble for the Pole.
Swiatek, whose aggressive style of play suits this surface, will try to attack her opponent from both flanks and also approach the net at every opportunity. She will look to take control of the match from the get-go, and not let Keys feel too comfortable on the court.
Meanwhile, Keys' major focus will be to take advantage of her serve and keep the points short and quick. She would also be looking to attack the ball early, taking time away from the Pole and forcing her to commit errors.
But the American hasn't had a lot of match practice lately, and Swiatek will be ready to pounce at even the smallest of openings.
Prediction: Iga Swiatek to win in straight sets.
