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Match details
Fixture: (6) Belinda Bencic vs Madison Keys
Date: 2 March 2021
Tournament: Qatar Total Open 2021
Round: First round (Round of 32)
Venue: Doha, Qatar
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $565,530
Match timing: Not before 6 pm local time, 8.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel
Belinda Bencic vs Madison Keys preview
Sixth seed Belinda Bencic takes on World No. 19 Madison Keys in the first round of the Qatar Open 2021 on Tuesday.
Bencic had been struggling to find her form for a while, having suffered a couple of opening-round losses after the tour resumed late last year. It was only at the Australian Open this year that she started showing glimpses of her champion self.
The World No. 12 was able to build on that resurgent show, and take it a notch higher in Adelaide. Last week Bencic managed to reach her first WTA final since 2019, where she succumbed to reigning French Open champion Iga Swiatek.
The 23-year-old will look to take the positives from that stellar run in Adelaide, but she is up against a very strong field at Doha.
Former US Open runner-up Madison Keys had to stay away from the tour for a while after testing positive for COVID-19. She played her last competitive match at Roland Garros five months ago, and will likely be rusty now.
Keys' best showing last year came in the first tournament of the season, at Brisbane, where she lost in the final to Karolina Pliskova. The American will look to draw inspiration from that performance as she kicks off her 2021 season in Doha.
Belinda Bencic vs Madison Keys head-to-head
Belinda Bencic and Madison Keys are locked at 1-1 in head-to-head matchups, with both their meetings coming in 2015.
Keys won their first match at the French Open, where she thrashed the Swiss 6-0, 6-3. Bencic exacted revenge soon after on the grasscourts of Eastbourne, emerging a 6-2, 6-2 winner.
Belinda Bencic vs Madison Keys prediction
With a big serve and powerful groundstrokes, Madison Keys can be dangerous on hardcourts. But her long hiatus could work against her, especially since she faces an opponent who has just rediscovered her form.
Barring the final in Adelaide, Bencic was pretty strong throughout the tournament. Her solid hitting from the baseline coupled with her quick footwork helped her survive a roller-coaster against the fast-rising Coco Gauff.
That tight semifinal win would have definitely boosted her confidence levels even further. Unless fatigue creeps in, Bencic should be expected to get the win against an opponent who hasn't played in a long time.
Prediction: Belinda Bencic to win in two tight sets.
