Australian Open standouts of past and present meet in Melbourne for the very first time, as last year’s semifinalist Madison Keys takes on former two-time Aussie Open champion Victoria Azarenka. Who will win Thursday’s battle between youth and experience?

Nitrobetting is ready to volley the latest news, tennis odds, and updates all year round. Let’s break down the upcoming third-round match of the 2023 Australian Open women’s singles tournament between Madison Keys and Victoria Azarenka.

Madison Keys vs. Victoria Azarenka Match Information

Madison Keys of the United States celebrates match point in her round one singles match against Anna Blinkova during day one of the 2023 Australian Open at Melbourne Park ????: @cjspencois@Madison_Keys #AusOpen #AO2023 pic.twitter.com/u84ALg2RAb

— Getty Images Sport (@GettySport) January 16, 2023

• When: Thursday, January 19, 2023
• Where: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
• TV: ESPN, ESPN2
• Live Stream: ESPN+
• 2023 Australian Open Odds: Keys (+114) / Azarenka (-133)

READ MORE: Danielle Collins vs. Elena Rybanika 2023 Australian Open Odds and Preview

Why Bet on Madison Keys?

10th-seeded Madison Keys continues to impress on the hard courts Down Under. Her 6-3, 6-2 straight-sets sweep of her second-round opponent Xinyu Wang gives her five straight-sets victories to kick off her 2023 WTA Tour season to remain a tough out in a Grand Slam event.

Prior to the Aussie Open, Keys won all five of her matches in the mixed-gender tourney in Sydney at the United Cup, helping the United States go undefeated in the entire tournament. Now comes another Grand Slam run for the 27-year-old Illinois native as she continues her quest for her maiden major title.

Keys has been on the cusp of a Grand Slam win many times over, having finished as a runner-up once at the 2017 US Open and four other semifinal appearances. Two of those semifinal showings came in Melbourne back in 2015 and the other just last year, which further boosts her stock as a sleeper candidate to finally win her first Grand Slam title this month.

Why Bet on Victoria Azarenka?

Could a late-career resurgence be in store for Victoria Azarenka? The former Australian Open champion has not reached the podium in Melbourne in a decade since winning back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013, but it appears she’s not done yet striking fear into her foes Down Under. Azarenka has yet to drop a set in this year’s installment of the Aussie Open, recently completing the straight-sets win over Nadia Podoroska in the second round. The former World No. 1 out of Belarus dropped just one game all match long against Podoroska to bounce back from her hotly-contested opening-round showing against Sofia Kenin. Working in favor of Azarenka’s chances of defeating Keys is her overall record of 3-0 against the American upstart. The two last faced each other at the Guadalajara Open in October, with Azarenka needing all three sets before dispatching Keys from that event. Then again, it’s been over two years since the 24th-seeded entry in Melbourne last won a WTA Tour event and has been mediocre at best since taking home the Cincinnati Open title back in 2020.

Madison Keys vs. Victoria Azarenka Betting Trends

• Keys is undefeated in all of her seven matches played to start the season.
• On the other hand, Keys went just 28-21 on the hard courts between her 2021 and 2022 campaigns.
• Azarenka currently has a 44-12 lifetime record at the Australian Open.
• Azarenka won all three of her WTA Tour singles matches lifetime against Keys.

Madison Keys vs. Victoria Azarenka Expert Betting Prediction

As encouraging as Keys’ recent stretch of spectacular play is, she could very well be haunted by the presence of a former legend in Azarenka once more. Then again, Keys has been more consistent in big-time moments in recent years compared to the wily veteran. In turn, we still see this as a hard-fought contest lasting all three sets in favor of Keys.

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*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.