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#MadisonKeys and #CarolineWozniacki were one of the few top players who had a sluggish start to 2019 — and surprisingly, on their least preferred surfaces, they found life in their games once more, producing a resurgent run into the final of the #VolvoCarOpen.
This could be one of the most unexpected finals of the year, considering their sullen form. Keys came into the tournament owning a disappointing 4-4 win-loss record after her reduced schedule, while Wozniacki was struggling with her health during a poor start to the year. Now, both women will battle to be the first clay-court champion of the season.
Keys is a former finalist here in Charleston — falling to Angelique Kerber in 2015. The American also reached the semifinals last year, although she failed to convert multiple match points against eventual Kiki Bertens which ultimately proved costly.
Will we have a new champion in Charleston, or will experience prevail? Wozniacki lifted the title previously in 2009 and has reached at least the quarterfinals on every appearance. Looking in her vintage form this week, the Dane comes into the match as the favourite to hoist the 31st WTA title of her career.
Head to Head
Keys and Wozniacki had only exchanged battles on hard courts in the past, with both meetings coming in the United States. On both occasions, it was the defensive-minded Wozniacki who outlasted the impatient Keys who failed to hit past the Danish wall and was unable to match her opponent’s consistency on her shots.
This will be their first meeting on clay courts but third in the country, and the slow court speed will pose an even bigger challenge to Keys, who definitely needs more patience and variety to beat the solid Wozniacki.
Road to the final: Keys
Keys came into Charleston on a three-match losing streak and faced the trickiest opponent possible in the opening round. Going up against Tatjana Maria, the American was set for a confidence-boosting win after storming to a 7-6, 4-1 lead, but things went entirely wrong as the German fought back to lead by a break in the deciding set. Nonetheless, with the exuberant support from the home crowd, Keys ultimately battled back to claim the huge late-night win.
This definitely provided her with the momentum she desperately needed as she followed it up with another terrific win over 2017 Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko, who reached the final back in 2017 as well. Keys, playing some clean tennis, was into her first quarterfinal of the year when she was slated to face top seed and good friend Sloane Stephens.
Stephens was unfortunately also her nemesis, owning a 0-3 deficit in their head-to-head record. Keys had never won a set against her compatriot, and the tightest set they have ever played was a set which ended 6-4. Surprisingly, Keys stunned the top seed in three high-quality sets, prevailing 7-6, 4-6, 6-2 to earn her first top-10 win of the year.
In the semifinals, Keys met fellow surprise semifinalist Monica Puig, who had an excellent run of her own as well. After a narrow first set which saw her edge through 6-4, Keys steered through the one-sided second set with a bagel, closing out the win after just 67 minutes to seal her place in her first final since the 2017 US Open.
Road to the final: Wozniacki
Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis last year, Wozniacki was also down with a viral illness which plagued her throughout the start of the year. Claiming just one top-50 win in 2019, Wozniacki came into Charleston with a poor 5-4 win-loss record having failed to defend her Australian Open trophy and ultimately fell out of the top-10 despite starting the year as the third-ranked player.
Up against clay specialist Laura Siegemund in her first match on clay this season, Wozniacki was at huge risk of being upset but played a wonderful match to defeat the German in straight sets without much hassle. She also defeated Mihaela Buzarnescu in the third round.
Wozniacki gradually found her best form, and with help from former professional and 2010 Roland Garros champion Francesca Schiavone, she was able to excel on clay. Schiavone has been practising with Wozniacki and was spotted in her box throughout the week.
The Dane claimed an excellent 6-2, 6-2 win over Maria Sakkari, who had ousted second seed and defending champion Kiki Bertens previously. In the last four, Wozniacki was able to remain flawless throughout the match, firing seven aces to beat Petra Martic 6-3, 6-4 after just 85 minutes of action.
Match Analysis: Can Keys play with controlled aggression?
Something Keys has been doing extremely well this week would be her controlled aggression. Unlike the past, the American was able to control her shots which saw a drastic change in her fortunes. Keys, despite her game not suiting clay at all, has achieved some of her career-best results on this slow surface after reaching the Premier 5 final in Rome and the semifinals at the French Open.
Wozniacki never felt comfortable on clay throughout her career, but arguably this could be her best week on clay in her life. The Dane was clinical and looked like a natural player on the dust, outlasting several clay-court proficient players like Siegemund and Buzarnescu en route to the final.
Once again, against such a rock-solid player like Wozniacki, Keys has the tendency to overhit and cause her aggression to backfire. The Dane’s main objective would be to extend the rallies and frustrate her opponent, especially with her ability to redirect the pace and find the angles on her shots.
Keys would need to rely on her forehands to triumph, and with the weather conditions not looking optimistic, the American would have to overcome the damp clay which makes the ball goes even slower, a bad omen for the hard-hitter. Wozniacki is labelled as the favourite, and rightfully so. The Dane should be able to lift the title in Charleston once more.
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