Western & Southern Open 2018
Madison Keys vs Camila Giorgi
(USA vs Italy)
(23yo, 5'10", 145 lbs vs 26yo, 5'6", 119 lbs)
WTA Rankings: #18 vs #37

{{{ Story based on a real-life tennis match from the second round of a WTA Premier tournament in Cincinnati, OH }}}

BEFORE: If Sloane Stephens is 1A then Madison Keys is 1B on the US Next Gen order or merit. That status was set during last year's US Open final but it's not written in stone by any means and the Boca Raton native enjoys a highly productive career guided by former WTA pro Lindsey Davenport. On the other hand we have one of the most aggressive baseliners on the tour - Camila Giorgi - whose raw striking power is only matched by her habit of putting the ball anywhere but the actual court. When the Italian is "on" there's nobody who can stop her but those days don't happen often enough to elevate her into serious elite contention.

Two big-hitters meet in Cincinnati tonight and the odds are stacked against the fight going the distance, in fact most experts believe this will be over by the fifth round already. The crowd is set for a juicy KO so don't blink or you'll miss it!

Madison Keys wears a teal sports bra, black shorts and white gloves. Curly dark brown hair tied in a thick bun at the back of her head. Camila Giorgi wears a turquoise one-piece swimsuit and silver gloves. Long blonde hair tied in a custom ponytail. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the welterweight division.

Round 1:
Giorgi gives away four inches in height to her opponent - and plenty lbs too - but that's almost irrelevant given her striking power and natural swarming attitude that translates into immediate uptempo attack. The Italian splits the American's mitts and snaps her head back so quickly most of the fans haven't even unwrapped their hotdogs yet! Madison tries to stand her ground but feels that raw power alright and circles back while Giorgi keeps stalking her until she's phased out of the close range and has to apply the brakes. Madison dominates the mid-range recovery thanks to her superior reach but she's too slow in execution to really bother the bubbly Italian. Camila seeks a late breakthrough with another spirited jump but bounces off the high guard this time and has to weave away from a counter-punching series herself.

Round 2:
Madison let Camila come to her - and of course she does - but misfires on a ripping cross that skims off the blonde's shoulder and soon Giorgi stings her with a brutal rally to the body that enforces the desired close range stance. Camila keeps racking up punches while leaning on the taller opponent and while Keys struggles to step away from the heat, she sticks a few promising blows under the Italian's elbows which halt the European charge a bit. However Giorgi quickly mounts another offensive run and tries to smack the Illinois-native on the jaw... Keys used the brief delay to find separation and she clubs the ultra-aggressive rival over the top instead which snaps the blonde ponytail around and allows the American to settle down with more head-hunting juice come the final minute. Camila drops onto her heels and has to soak up the heat but she avoids betting pounded back to the ropes which leaves Keys a little frustrated come the bell.

Round 3:
Keys times her charge well enough to beat Giorgi for a right-on-right opener that stuns the older girl on the spot as the raw 145 lbs power carries straight through on target. Ugh! Madison volleys another hook on the left eye and turns it from the hip to bury a half-uppercut deep into the blonde's torso! Uh-oh!!! Giorgi sinks on her knees with a whimper and she just doesn't have the mobility to avoid the American blasting her across the mouth with a quick left-right combo. She stumbles back to the ropes and the Keys prowl is officially on! The former US Open finalist cranks it up to bury the stunned Italian underneath another head-hunting barrage and the desperate high guard barely survives the test when Keys loses her focus in wake of such a great opportunity. She recovers to flick a gut shot from the left that bends Giorgi even further and a late uppercut on the jaw almost topples her over the ropes but the clock comes to the rescue with Keys groaning in frustration afterwards... Lindsey Davenport shares that feeling but it's not like Giorgi has any fall-back options left at this stage of the fight.

Round 4:
It's naive to think the Italian will bide her time on defense, that's not her style at all and she makes another otherwise ill-advised jump forward to meet a crushing hook from Keys... Camila gets NAILED on the jaw and drops her mitts wholesale which allows the Illinois-born girl to blast more uppercuts... she won't let the blonde off the hook this time... or wil she? Nope, she SMOKES Giorgi with a one-two on the chin and the shrieking blonde's knees collapse from underneath her... DOWN SHE GOES!!! Camila ends up face-down at Madison's feet and she can't recover from that light-middleweight power at all. You've seen it happen before, KO4 Madison Keys in one-two punch fashion!!!

AFTER: This was always a favorable match-up for the 23-year old American who usually thrives against fellow power-hitters with otherwise inferior physical traits. Camila could use a couple of inches extra but she's still well positioned for a solid gatekeeping career now that her most successful compatriot Flavia Pennetta has retired. It's just those elite girls that are always in the way! 

Official result: Madison Keys def. Camila Giorgi KO4.