WTA Cincinnati Masters Women’s Singles Final Odds & Pick: Keys vs Kuznetsova

• Madison Keys and Svetlana Kuznetsova will face off against one another in the Cincinnati Masters Women’s Finals
• Svetlana Kuznetsova was a wildcard in this tournament
• Both players beat their semifinals opponent in straight sets

The 2019 Western and Southern Open finals will take place Sunday at 2pm EST. 16-seed Madison Keys will take on wildcard and former world no. 2 Svetlana Kuznetsova, as they face each other for the fourth time in their careers. Very few would have chosen at the start that these two would punch their ticket to the finals, but the way they have been playing in Ohio, it’s very deserving.

2019 Cincinnati Masters Women’s Singles Final Odds

Odds taken 8/17/19 .

Madison Keys is the first American women to make it to the Western and Southern Finals since Serena Williams won it all in 2015. Svetlana Kuznetsova has had visa and injury issues that have made it hard for her to compete recently, but the 34-year old has been able to take full advantage of her opportunity this week.

The finals are set!

Be prepared for ? Sunday.#CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/UXh8PTo6uB

— Western & Southern Open (@CincyTennis) August 18, 2019

Head-to-Head

Svetlana Kuznetsova and Madison Keys has faced each other three times prior to their match on Sunday, dating back to 2014. Keys was 19-years old and just starting to make a splash on the WTA tour, and Kuznetsova was hoping to work her way back up to the top.

2019 Cincinnati Masters Key Stats

Keys is 3-0 when facing Kuznetsova, but they haven’t played each other past the round of 16, which came in Beijing in 2016. Kuznetsova has also yet to take a set from Keys in the three matches where they have faced each other.

Tournament Breakdown

Neither Keys nor Kuznetsova has had an easy route to the finals in this tournament. Madison Keys beat out Venus Williams, Simona Halep, and Sofia Kenin to get to the finals. While, Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated Sloane Stephens, Karolina Pliskova, and former no.1 Ashleigh Barty to make it to the finals.

Kuznetsova upset Barty, the top seed, and Karolina Pilskova, the number three seed, in consecutive days, gaining an all-time confidence high. Down 0-2 to Barty to start the match, she was able to win the next eight games. Barty never saw another break point, and Kuznetsova was able to win 6-2, 6-4.

During Keys’s semifinal match versus Sofia Kenin, she put on a serving masterclass with 14 aces and 80% of the points she was winning were behind her first serve. Keys played some of her best tennis to date against Simona Halep, where she won in three sets, and hasn’t dropped a set since.

Next Up…New York

This finals at the Cincinnati Masters should put an interesting spin for the US Open happening later in the month. The women’s side of tennis has seemed to be anyones to take recently. A lot of young phenom’s have been coming to play, but this finals gives a veteran like Kuznetsova an opportunity to put her name back in the mix. And for the 24-year-old Keys, this will also give her the confidence she will need going into New York, after battling injuries and early knockouts.

Where to Put Your Money

The way both women have played tennis this tournament is going to make for a good match. The decade age gap may favor Keys in terms of fatigue, depending how long the match goes. The argument of experience could also possibly be made, but Keys is so well versed for a 24-year old, and has seen her fair share of big matches. The fact that Kuznetsova was once on top could favor her at one point, but the tennis world has changed so much in the past 15 years.

Kuznetsova plays with a lot of variety, she likes to play with more spin and slices a lot. If Keys can control that, she won’t have any problem going home with the Western and Southern Trophy this year.

Pick: Keys (-104)