The terrible season of Madison Keys

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Both Madison Keys and Misaki Doi have come into the Madrid Open with an agenda to overcome. Madison has played only four tournaments this year so far. Back in January she underwent wrist arthroscopic surgery and had warned everyone prodding her as to when she'd return on the court, that she didn't want to rush things.

The four tournaments only gave Keys three match wins. Madison's game play was pretty lacklustered as she struggled to maintain the level of play before the surgery. But yet she was optimistic with this match because she'd played Doi four times before since their last meeting five years ago and had won all of them.

Doi's last season comprised a bunch of opening round losses, 16 in fact out of playing 26 tournaments. She played Keys four times and only won a set off of her in those five years. Doi wanted to have a better season this year, but her wishes didn't seem to come through except when she entered the Madrid Open.

The first set both Keys and Misaki mirrored each others' strategies with down-the-lines, angled shots and an occasional put-away volley, but it was Doi who remained aggressive enough to grab the first set from Madison who tried to stay in the game and remain focused.

The second set was Madison's with corner shots, volleys and the capabilities of mixing up her strokes and strategies dismantling Misaki's game plan. As the evening darkness set in on a clear Madrid night, Doi wouldn't be compromised and she became mentally stronger than Keys with the third and deciding set.

Areas of shade and sun decorated the court and this might have added some advantage to Misaki as she spinned shots in and out of the patches of shade on the court. Madison was struggling to remain focused and physically strong knowing that this could mean a win for her.

It was literally a matter of time that with a net cord and a corner shot, this had sealed the match for Doi at 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 with Madison stretching her body's extent to reach a blasted shot without much success. Doi had finally accomplished a few things to take her through to this Madrid event.

She finally was able to win more than one set off of Madison, she broke her terrible losing streak, had her first win over a top 10 player and most of all won the match and moves on to the 2nd round. This was quite a feat for Doi who's been on the WTA tour for nine years and has struggled to establish herself as another player of Japan, fighting for recognition in the tennis community.