2019 Cincinnati Open quarterfinal: Venus Williams vs Madison Keys, Preview and Prediction
An all-American quarterfinal at the 2019 Western & Southern Open will witness seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams squaring off against former US Open finalist Madison Keys.
Keys and Venus have always played some of their best tennis on the American hard courts in the past and this season has been no different.
Neither of the two hard-hitting baseliners has enjoyed much success in 2019. While Venus has won a measly 14 matches out of the 24 she's played this year, Keys has managed just 15 victories in 26 matches leading into Cincinnati. However, their form in this tournament is not an accurate reflection of those numbers.
Venus has been outstanding in each of her three matches thus far. The 37-year old rallied from multiple setbacks against defending champion Kiki Bertens in the second round to close out the match in a third-set tiebreaker. It was vintage Venus on display, her forehands and volleys doing all the talking.
Keys, meanwhile, has silently powered her way into the quarterfinals, taking out quality opponents in the form of Garbine Muguruza and Simona Halep. She will be looking to continue her rich vein of form and make a deep run in this tournament which serves as the final warm-up ahead of the US Open later this month.
There isn't much to choose from between the two considering how well they are executing their respective games.
It will be an intense battle out on Centre Court in Cincinnati later tonight. If the match were to go down to the wire, Venus should have the edge because of how solid she has been from the back of the court and the sheer grit she possesses. Keys, on the other hand, will look to gain control of the match early on and then blow her opponent away.
Prediction: Venus Williams in three sets.