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Match Details
Fixture: (15) Liudmila Samsonova vs (18) Madison Keys
Date: April 27, 2024
Tournament: Mutua Madrid Open
Round: Third Round (Round of 32)
Venue: La Caja Magica, Madrid, Spain
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Clay
Prize Money: €7,877,020
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN+/TSN3
Liudmila Samsonova vs Madison Keys preview
Top-20 players Liudmila Samsonova and Madison Keys will clash in the third round of the 2024 Madrid Open on Saturday (April 27).
Following a first-round bye, Samsonova faced four-time Major champion Naomi Osaka in the second round. The Russian was all over her opponent right off the bat as she raced to a 4-0 lead in the first set. She maintained a good grip on the headstart and soon captured the set.
Samsonova was on course for a routine win as she led 4-2 in the second set. However, Osaka flipped the script as she reeled off the next four games to take the set.
The two went toe-to-toe for most of the third set until Samsonova pulled ahead towards the end. She bagged the last three games of the match to register a 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 win.
Keys, meanwhile, received a bye into the second round as well, where she took on Irina-Camelia Begu. The American blew an early lead in the first set and then saved a set point on her own serve at 5-4.
Keys edged out Begu in the ensuing tie-break to take a one-set lead. There was a fair bit of back and forth in the second set as both players gave up their advantages at some point.
Begu even saved three match points in a gutsy service hold to make it 5-5. The set went to a tie-break as well and Keys once again came out on top for a 7-6 (3), 7-6 (6) win.
Liudmila Samsonova vs Madison Keys head-to-head
Keys leads Samsonova 2-1 in the head-to-head. The American won their most recent encounter at last year's US Open in three sets.
Liudmila Samsonova vs Madison Keys odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Liudmila Samsonova vs Madison Keys prediction
Samsonova avenged her previous loss to Osaka at Indian Wells as she ousted her this time in Madrid. It was a much-needed win for her as she snapped a four-match losing skid.
Keys has been on the comeback trail for the last few weeks after an injury caused her to postpone her start to the season. She did well to sneak past Begu in the previous round to notch up her fourth win of the season.
Keys and Samsonova's rivalry has been quite close. All three of their previous matches have gone the distance. The former won their last couple of meetings after losing their very first encounter.
The two have a similar style of play as they look to overwhelm their opponents with their hard-hitting groundstrokes. The two will aim to win consecutive matches for the second time this year. Keys' record in this rivalry along with Samsonova's inconsistency this season make the American the favorite to win this match.
Pick: Madison Keys to win in three sets
