Madrid Open 2024: Iga Swiatek vs Madison Keys; Preview, Head-to-Head, Prediction

The semifinal of the Madrid Open is finally here! Iga Swiatek is set to play against Madison Keys after both beat their opponents with a great show of tennis. The baker Swiatek has achieved four breadsticks and two bagels in her run so far. She has only dropped a set and plans to win in straight sets against Keys. 

The American player herself steps into the semifinal after upsetting Coco Gauff and Ons Jabeur back-to-back. Now, she looks to take down the world number 1.

Iga Swiatek vs Madison Keys: Preview

In the Madrid Open quarterfinal, Swiatek beat Beatriz Haddad Maia, 4-6, 6-0, 6-2. She managed to win 63% of points from her first serve and 72% on her second serve. She broke Maia 7 times out of 18 and only gave 3 break points out of 7 to Maia. Bageling her opponent in the second set helped Swiatek win 8 games in a row. However, her serves are not up to par, as she has only hit 3 aces with 7 double faults.

Keys beat Ons Jabeur 0-6, 7-5, 6-1. She showed a fantastic mental game as she beat the Tunisian player despite being bageled in the first set. Keys managed 3 aces, which helped her win 62% of points on first serves and 66% of points on first serves, after 3 double faults. She took 4 break points from Jabeur while giving 4 away. Despite a great result, she couldn’t manage to stop Jabeur from demolishing her serve as she took 32 receiving points.

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Swiatek vs Keys: Head-to-Head

Swiatek and Keys have played against each other three times on the WTA Tour. Swiatek leads the rivalry 2-1, even winning their only clash on clay.

• 2021 Italian Open round of 32: Swiatek 7-5, 6-1
• 2022 Indian Wells Masters quarterfinal: Swiatek 6-1, 6-0
• 2022 Cincinnati Masters round of 16: Keys 6-3, 6-4

The two will play in the Madrid Open after two years, and it will be their first bout on clay in three years, which means the match can go either way.

Prediction: Swiatek to reach the final once again

The Polish player came to Madrid with a trophy in mind. She has opened up a bakery in the tournament as she has only played two sets where she lost more than 2 games. Her serve may not be anything to write home about; her topspin shots and all-court game are wreaking havoc on her opponents. She has victory on her side as she steps into the semifinal.

Keys has shown some great performances in Madrid after struggling since she recovered from her shoulder injury. She swings the racket hard and fast, which helps her defeat the clay court specialist, Coco Gauff. Her recovery also spoke volumes as she managed to beat Jabeur despite being bageled. However, Swiatek is not a player who lets a lead slip.

Time and again, she has proven that if she has an upper hand in the first few games of a set, she wins the set. If Keys can close out the first few games, she might stand a chance to win. For now, the spoils of victory will go to the world number 1.