Madison Keys beats Jasmine Paolini at Dubai open

Madison Keys recorded a comfortable first-round victory over Italian opponent Jasmine Paolini at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Sunday (February 19). The American, now ranked World No.23, showed glimpses of the form that once saw her rise as high as World No.7, secure six WTA singles titles, and reach the final of the 2017 US Open. Making her second appearance in Dubai’s annual WTA 1000 event, Keys broke Paolini’s serve in the second game of the match and never looked back, taking the first set 6-1. The second set followed a similar pattern, with Keys breaking serve early and racing through the remainder of the set, before serving out with ace to seal a 6-1, 6-1 victory and setting up a second-round match with fourth-seed Caroline Garcia. “I was little nervous at the beginning, but I got off to a really good start and never looked back,” said Keys. “It’s good to get that first win, so we can now look forward.” On her second-round showdown with Garcia, against whom she has a 3-1 head-to-head winning record, Keys added: “She’s a really tough opponent and it’s always a really good match against her, so I’m really looking forward to it.” Keys will play against India's Sania Mirza on Monday (February 20). ICA/Expat Media ALSO READ: Sania Mirza reflects on retirement after final outing in Dubai
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