World number 15 Madison Keys will be up against the 29th-ranked Elise Mertens in the first round of the 2023 WTA Cincinnati Open on Tuesday, August 15. Get the predictions and odds of this Madison Keys v Elise Mertens match along with its preview, head to head, and tips here.
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Madison Keys v Elise Mertens Head to Head
Madison Keys holds the historic advantage over the Belgian, having won all three of their encounters with two on hardcourt and one on grass.
Also Read:
Keys Sustains Hip Injury in Canada
Madison Keys has enjoyed one of her best years yet in 2023, having almost a 72% win rate.
She is 14-6 on hardcourt this year, gaining wins against significant players like Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Garcia in Dubai. Keys is coming off a wonderful grass season, having won Eastbourne and making it to the Wimbledon quarterfinals. With her hard-hitting and quick baseline game, Keys will be looking to overpower Mertens in their matchup this week.
Hardcourt has been her best surface, having made the US Open finals in 2017, and 3 other major finals.
In the North American summer swing so far, Keys got to the quarterfinals of the Citi Open before losing to world #8 Maria Sakkari in straight sets. Unfortunately for her, in the Canadian Open, Keys sustained a hip injury forcing her to withdraw in round 2 after knocking out veteran Venus Williams in the first round of the tournament in straight sets.
The American will be looking to come back from a pretty serious injury to return back to her previous levels of playing.
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Mertens Struggling in 2023
Elise Mertens is struggling in the worst year of her professional career, with a mere 50% win rate this season. The Belgian star has struggled to make it past the 4th round of any major in the past 3 years after having made the semifinals in the 2018 Australian Open and back-to-back quarterfinals in 2019 & 2020 US Open.
On hardcourt this year, Mertens has a bleak record of 13-10 and will be looking to take advantage of a recently injured Madison Keys to gain some confidence.
In the North American hardcourt season so far, Mertens lost to Daria Kasatkina in Canada and Washington, despite having beat the Russian in Miami earlier this year.
If Elise Mertens is able to maintain consistency in the match and stay in the point, she may be able to land her first win against Madison Keys.
Keys v Mertens Prediction and Tip
Although Madison Keys recently sustained a hip injury causing her to withdraw from the Canadian Open, she should be able to get past the player she has a 3-0 record against as long as she is able to hit consistent powerful shots.
However, Mertens poses a threat given her ability to maintain longer rallies and force errors in her opponents. Still, the American is a heavy favorite in the match although it may not be as easy as it would have been without an injury hindering her.
Tips:
- Low Risk Tip: Keys to win: 4/9
The 2023 WTA Cincinnati Open will be played from August 13 to 20. You can get all the tennis betting news with our tennis betting blog here. Also get rest of the tennis match previews here.
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