Madison
Keys defeated
Venus Williams in straight sets, 6-2, 7-5, to advance in the 2023
Canadian Open.
In a clash
of Americans on the center court, the 43-year-old legend Venus Williams made
her return to a WTA tournament after an intriguing grass court swing, where she
showcased a good level of competition but was eliminated in the first round of
Wimbledon by Jelena Ostapenko.
Facing her
was world No. 15
Madison Keys, who came into the match in good form with an
11-2 record since the French Open. So far, Keys and Williams had a head-to-head
record of 3-2 in favor of the 28-year-old athlete, with their last encounter
occurring at the 2019 Cincinnati Open, resulting in a victory for Keys.
The first
set belonged entirely to Keys, who secured breaks in the first game and the
seventh game with great consistency from her forehand and service. Williams
managed only a 52% first serve percentage, winning 71% of those points, but a
mere 31% on her second serve.
On the
other hand, Keys, despite reaching a 59% first serve percentage, conceded only
six points on her service games.
The second
set started evenly for the Americans, with Williams displaying tremendous competitive
spirit, especially in the second game that extended to 18 points and had three
break points in her favor, all of which she couldn't capitalize on.
Several
errors in the seventh game allowed Keys to secure another crucial break, which
ultimately proved to be the deciding factor. The former world No. 7 faced
difficulties in closing out the match with her serve and wasted seven match
points.
In the
following game, Williams couldn't hold her serve, and Keys took a 6-5 lead once
again to seal the set with her own service game. However, physical discomfort
forced her to request a medical timeout before serving. She ultimately clinched
the set 7-5.
Venus
Williams will make her reappearance next week at the WTA 1000 Cincinnati Open,
where she received a wild card from the organizers.
As for
Keys, she will face world No. 49 Jasmine Paolini in the second round, who
defeated Donna Vekic in straight sets.
