Madison Keys will face Caroline Wozniacki in the Volvo Car Open final after a dominant 6-4 6-0 win over Monica Puig.
During her press conference, the Puerto Rican summed up the match well. She said, “It’s disappointing (to lose), but all props to her. Sometimes you have great days like I’ve had (this week) and then you come up against an opponent who is playing ten times better than you.”
The American also reached the championship match in Charleston in 2015 but on that occasion she lost a close three-set encounter with Angelique Kerber. She will hoping to go one better this time.
Keys made a confident start to the match. She served well in her opening two service games and almost broke Puig in between them.
However, she did not need to wait long for a break. The Puerto Rican eventually crumbled under the pressure of the American’s huge hitting and surrendered her serve in the fourth game.
To Puig’s credit, she started to gain momentum and had just broken back in game seven when the rain came down.
There were a few close games when they resumed. But Keys fought her way to a break in game ten to take the first set 6-4.
Keys shines in the second set
In the second set, the American was on fire. She unleashed an array of spectacular groundstrokes that Puig was completely unable to cope with.
Consequently, she won the first five games in the set to move 5-0 ahead in a little over 20 minutes.
Keys also won the sixth, but it was much more difficult. Puig tried everything to prolong the action. She hit a couple of big winners and a drop shot, before the American eventually took her fourth chance to finish the match.
Key’s stats were very impressive. She fired down nine aces and won 76% of points behind her first serve. She also hit 26 winners and made just 12 unforced errors.
“I just feel really comfortable, especially on green clay,” the American said. “I’m really happy that I get to play another final here.”
Keys continued, “Monica played really well in the first set but I weathered the storm and then came out after the rain break really focused and ready to go.”
Wozniacki torments Martic again
Wozniacki also played very well to beat Petra Martic 6-3 6-4. The Dane has now beaten the Croatian in straight sets in all six of their meetings.
“It’s amazing to be back in the final here,” the Dane said in her on-court interview. “I’m so thrilled to be healthy and feeling good out here.”
In the first set, Martic did well to stay with Wozniacki for five games. However, when her level dropped in the sixth game, the World No.13 seized her chance to apply pressure.
She earned one break with some trademark hustling and then another with a brilliant inside-out forehand. The Croatian saved them both some aggressive hitting.
But her efforts did not enable her to retrieve the game. Wozniacki forced another break point and then played a superb point to take advantage of it. She drew Martic into the net and raced forward to finish the point when the Croatian dropped the ball short.
That break was all Wozniacki needed to win the set 6-4. She then broke early in the second set and served superbly to move into a 4-2 lead.
Then the Dane experienced a dip in form. She lost eight consecutive points to enable Martic to draw level on the scoreboard.
Parity did not last long. Wozniacki produced a well-judged lob and a brilliant backhand winner to earn 0-30 on the Croatian’s serve. Martic then made an error to give her three chances to break, and she took the third with a simple smash.
The Dane closed out the match with a relatively comfortable hold to advance to her first final since Beijing in October.
