Roland Garros 2021: Victoria Azarenka vs Madison Keys preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (15) Victoria Azarenka vs (23) Madison Keys
Date: 04 June 2021
Tournament: Roland Garros 2021
Round: Third round (Round of 32)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Red Clay
Prize money: €17,171,108
Match timing: 12 pm local time, 10 am GMT, 6 am EST, 3.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - NBC Sports / Tennis Channel | UK - ITV | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Victoria Azarenka vs Madison Keys preview
15th seed Victoria Azarenka will look to return to the second week of the French Open for the first time since 2013 when she takes on 23rd seed Madison Keys in the third round on Friday.
The former World No. 1, who made the US Open final last year, has had a rather underwhelming season. A back injury has plagued the Belarusian for much of the year and a run to the Qatar Open semifinals is her biggest highlight thus far.
The two-time Grand Slam champion came to Paris with little to no practice on clay. She looked rusty in her Roland Garros opener against former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and only just scraped through with a 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 win.
Her second-round opponent, rising star Clara Tauson, also posed quite a challenge, but Azarenka's experience shone through as she eked out a 7-5, 6-4 victory.
Azarenka will need to make major improvements as she next faces Madison Keys, who can blast the Belarusian off the court.
The 23rd seed is a dangerous opponent to face, given her power-packed game. However, the American hasn't made much of an impact this season.
A positive COVID-19 test kept her out of action at the start of the season and the former US Open runner-up's return to the tour hasn't been successful; she has managed just three wins in six events.
Keys is thus desperately looking to get some wins under her belt at Roland Garros, where she made the semifinals three years ago. In her first match at the claycourt Major, the 26-year-old had to grind her way to a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 win against Oceane Dodin.
She then blitzed past Canadian teenager Leylah Fernandez 6-1, 7-5 to set up a third-round meeting with Azarenka.
Victoria Azarenka vs Madison Keys head-to-head
Victoria Azarenka leads Madison Keys 1-0 in their head-to-head. The Belarusian won their solitary encounter at Miami in 2018 when Keys retired trailing 6-7(5), 0-2.
Victoria Azarenka vs Madison Keys prediction
This promises to be a blockbuster encounter between two power-hitters, both of whom are hoping to turn their fortunes around. Clay is not either player's preferred surface and the outcome of the match will likely boil down to who can keep unforced errors in check.
For Azarenka that's been a challenge so far. She committed 27 unforced errors and hit just 18 winners in a topsy-turvy match against Tauson. Keys, on the other hand, struck 31 winners and committed 31 unforced errors against Fernandez.
She also had a solid showing on serve, firing six aces and coughing up just two double faults. The Belarusian, on the other hand, served up seven double faults in her match against Tauson.
However, where Azarenka clearly holds the advantage is in her movement; the former World No. 1 is much quicker around the court than Keys.
Azarenka, 31, has also played quite a few more matches than Keys this season and that could make a difference in the crunch moments. If Azarenka can go big on her returns and keep her errors in check, she should be able to come through.
Prediction: Victoria Azarenka to win in three sets.
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