Ostrava 2022: Madison Keys vs Elena Rybakina preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | AGEL Open
Match Details
Fixture: Madison Keys vs Elena Rybakina.
Tournament: AGEL Open 2022.
Round: First round (Round of 32).
Venue: Ostrava, Czech Republic.
Category: WTA 500.
Surface: Indoor hardcourt.
Prize money: $757,900.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Madison Keys vs Elena Rybakina preview
World No. 18 Madison Keys will face off against reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the first round of the 2022 AGEL Open in Ostrava.
After an underwhelming 2021, Keys has stepped up big time this year. She won her first title since 2019 at the Adelaide International 2 at the start of the season and then reached the semifinals of the Australian Open. After a couple of early exits, she made it to the quarterfinals at Indian Wells, but lost in the second round of the Miami Open the following week.
Keys won just one match on clay in the lead-up to the French Open, but still made it to the fourth round in Paris. An injury then forced her to skip Wimbledon. After disappointing results in San Jose and Toronto, the 27-year-old reached the semifinals in Cincinnati.
Keys then lost to Coco Gauff in the third round of the US Open. She competed at the Tallinn Open last week, but bowed out of the tournament in the opening round.
Rybakina started the season with a runner-up finish at the Adelaide International 1. She was unable to sustain this momentum as she failed to win back-to-back matches until Indian Wells, where she made it to the last eight. The Kazakh made an early exit from the following week's Miami Open.
During the clay swing, Rybakina reached the third round of three big tournaments, the Madrid Open, the Italian Open and the French Open. After an underwhelming start to her grass season, she went on to win her maiden Grand Slam title at Wimbledon.
After a couple of early losses, Rybakina made it to the quarterfinals in Cincinnati. However, she crashed out in the first round of the US Open. She then reached her third final of the year at the Slovenia Open, but lost to Katerina Siniakova. The 23-year-old next competed at the Pan Pacific Open, but failed to get past the opening round.
Madison Keys vs Elena Rybakina head-to-head
Keys leads Rybakina 2-0 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2022 Western & Southern Open in straight sets.
Madison Keys vs Elena Rybakina odds
(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Madison Keys vs Elena Rybakina prediction
While the two have enjoyed good results this season, they haven't been the most consistent players on tour.
Keys looked lackluster during her loss at the Tallinn Open last week. Her serve didn't click at all and she committed way too many errors, never finding a foothold in the match. Rybakina, too, lost in the first round of her previous tournament and was outplayed by her opponent.
Big servers with even bigger groundstrokes, that's the trademark style of play when it comes to these two. Keys made short work of Rybakina when they met in Cincinnati a few weeks ago. The 23-year-old has often struggled against fellow big-hitters who are able to go toe-to-toe with her.
Rybakina has struggled with her break-point conversion of late. She cannot afford to let too many opportunities slip against the American. The contest could swing either way, but Keys seems to have figured out the Kazakh's gameplay and should be able to score a third consecutive win over her.
Pick: Madison Keys to win in three sets.