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Match Details
Fixture: (20) Madison Keys vs Kaia Kanepi
Tournament: French Open 2023
Round: First round (Round of 128)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor clay
Prize money: €49,600,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel, NBC Sports, Peacock TV | Canada - TSN | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Ten
Madison Keys vs Kaia Kanepi preview
Former French Open semifinalist Madison Keys will lock horns with Estonian veteran Kaia Kanepi in a tricky first-round encounter in Paris.
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Keys has a 15-7 win-loss record heading into the second Slam of the season. She began the season on a thunderous note, winning all five matches to guide Team USA to the United Cup title. The former US Open runner-up then backed that up with a run to the Dubai quarterfinals.
Keys also had a decent clay season, making the quarterfinals in Charleston and the Round of 16 in Rome. Buoyed by the encouraging performances, she will hope to make a deep run at Roland Garros, where she reached the last four in 2018.
Keys' first-round opponent, Kaia Kanepi, has as many as seven Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances on her resume, with the most recent one coming at the 2022 Australian Open. The two-time French Open quarterfinalist has four titles and cracked the top 15 in 2012.
Now down in 76th in the rankings, the 37-year-old has had a poor 4-11 win-loss record in the lead-up to Roland Garros. This year, her best performance so far remains a trip to the Round of 16 from qualifying at the Adelaide International 2.
Madison Keys vs Kaia Kanepi head-to-head
Keys leads Kanepi 2-1 in their head-to-head. Kanepi won their first showdown in Madrid in 2015. Since then, Keys has won two straight meeting, which came at the US Open in 2017 and Indian Wells in 2021.
Madison Keys vs Kaia Kanepi odds
(Odds sourced from BetMGM)
Madison Keys vs Kaia Kanepi prediction
With Kanepi struggling since the start of the year, Keys is the favorite to come through this contest. However, the big-serving American won't get much help from the slow surface and has to be prepared for long rallies.
That's where she needs to be careful, as Kanepi can get dangerous if given a chance to settle down. She's an offensive baseline player known for her heavy ball-striking and has a win over Keys on clay.
If Keys doesn't rush and can patiently construct points before unleashing her winning shot, she has a good chance of making it through. Nevertheless, this could be an early test for the American in Paris.
Pick: Madison Keys to win in two tight sets.
