Madrid Open 2022: Maria Sakkari vs Madison Keys preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

Match details

Fixture: (4) Maria Sakkari vs Madison Keys

Date: 29 April 2022

Tournament: Madrid Open 2022

Round: First round (Round of 64)

Venue: Madrid, Spain

Category: WTA 1000

Surface: Clay

Prize money: $6,575,560

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video

Maria Sakkari vs Madison Keys preview

Fourth seed Maria Sakkari will square off against World No. 22 Madison Keys in the first round of the 2022 Madrid Open on Friday.

Sakkari had a successful hardcourt swing, reaching the finals in St. Petersburg and Indian Wells along with a semi-final run in Qatar. She also reached a career-high ranking of No. 3 as a result of her consistent performances.

However, the Greek has struggled for form over the last few weeks. Sakkari failed to win a match at the Miami Open, going down to Beatriz Haddad Maia in three sets in her opener.

She kicked off her clay season at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. After an opening-round bye, she took on Laura Siegemund in the second round. However, she ended up retiring midway through the second set due to physical issues.

Having shaken off her fitness concerns, Sakkari will be aiming to get back to winning ways in the Spanish capital.

Madison Keys at the 2022 Indian Wells Open.

Madison Keys, meanwhile, started the year in fantastic fashion, winning the title at the Adelaide International and reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open. She soon had a letdown, losing in the first round of her next two tournaments.

The American reached the quarterfinals of the Indian Wells Open, but failed to get past the opening hurdle in Miami.

Keys commenced her clay season at the Charleston Open. After a first-round bye, she defeated Ulrikke Eikeri quite comfortably in the second round, before losing to Belinda Bencic in straight sets.

The 27-year-old has performed fairly well on clay in the past and will hope to rediscover her early-season form when she launches her campaign in Madrid.

Maria Sakkari vs Madison Keys head-to-head

Sakkari leads Keys 2-0 in the head-to-head. She won their most recent encounter at the 2021 Qatar Open in straight sets.

Maria Sakkari vs Madison Keys odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games (Over & Under)
Maria Sakkari	-190	+1.5 (-450)	Over 21.5 (-115)
Madison Keys	+145	-1.5 (+290)	Under 21.5 (-120)

All odds are sourced from BetMGM.

Maria Sakkari vs Madison Keys prediction

Maria Sakkari at the 2022 Australian Open.

Neither player has a great record in Madrid. Keys has won just three matches in eight appearances so far in the Spanish capital, with her last victory coming way back in 2016. Sakkari's record is just as poor, with two wins and three losses.

But their record in Madrid is not an accurate reflection of their abilities on clay. Keys and Sakkari are former Roland Garros semifinalists and have won titles on clay.

Keys is one of the hardest hitters on the tour and has the ability to blow any opponent off the court. However, she can be quite inconsistent and the lack of a plan B has caused her downfall on many occasions.

Sakkari is also a powerful striker, but might have to be a bit more patient in the rallies against Keys. The Greek has been the more consistent player over the past few months and her record against Keys will give her an added boost.

Pick: Maria Sakkari to win in straight sets.

Also Check Out :- Madrid Open 2022 Schedule

About the author

Rohit is a journalist at Sportskeeda who specializes in covering tennis. Having been with the company for three years, he has proven himself as a formidable force in the field. With a Master's degree in law, Rohit brings his analytical and research skills to the forefront as a journalist. He stays on top of the game by using social media platforms and never misses a match for on-court insights. He values giving credit where it's due, keeping his reporting fair and accurate.

At the outset of his career, Rohit found his niche in writing previews and SEO pieces and it's this expertise that continues to define his role at Sportskeeda. He is particularly proud of one article that garnered an impressive 750k views and surpassed his "wildest dreams." Rohit is not particularly fond of (GOAT) debates and it is one of the reasons why he left the legal world behind. He prefers to view players in "tiers," where they're all esteemed to an extent. However, if pressed to name favorites, he would choose Serena and Venus Williams. The Williams sisters' journey from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of tennis has been his greatest source of inspiration.

When he isn't busy making spot-on predictions about match outcomes, Rohit likes reading, particularly fantasy, sci-fi, and comics. As an X-Men fanatic, he's also passionate about board games and enjoys watching movies in his spare time. And don't be surprised if you catch him silently wishing to the tennis gods for the removal of ad scoring from doubles.

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Edited by Arvind Sriram