Madrid Open 2024: Shelby Rogers vs Marketa Vondrousova; Preview, Head-to-Head, Prediction

While Marketa Vondrousova is navigating personal challenges, her on-court form this season has been impressive. She has already reached one QF and one SF in the tournaments this year. Whereas Shelby Rogers has looked completely off-color this season. While this will be her fifth tournament in this season, she has failed to make her presence felt in the previous tournaments. Can Rogers bring back her glorious days?

Marketa Vondrousova v Shelby Rogers: Preview

Marketa Vondrousova is entering into this match after her incredible run at the Stuttgart Open. Just a week ago, she defeated the likes of Anastasia Potapova and Aryna Sabalenka to make her way into the semis. But in the SF she got defeated by Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk by 7-6(2),6-2. In that match, Vondrousova managed to hit only a single ace and committed three double faults against the Czech. 

Her first-serve win percentage was 55%, while her second-serve percentage was even better (62%) than that. She converted two out of her six breakpoints and won six of her service games. Marketa Vondrousova is known for her all-round game. If we look at her overall records for the 2024 season, the Czech tennis star has hit fifty aces and committed fifty-nine double faults so far this season. She has won 65% of her service games, but her win percentage in the return games has dropped down to 41.4%. Where does Shelby Rogers stand?

Well, Rogers is entering into this contest after her recent win against China’s Zhang Shuai in her first match at the 2024 Madrid Open. She defeated the Chinese tennis player by 6-3,6-2. Her numbers were pretty impressive from that match. Rogers hit five aces and committed only two double faults in the entire match. Her first serve win percentage was 89%, and even on the second serve, she was quite good (79%). She converted three out of her right breakpoints and won nine of her service games against Zhang Shuai.

However, her overall numbers for this year haven’t been that impressive. But she still managed to sneak in 66% of her service games and won 30.6% of her return games. Shelby Rogers has struggled a bit with her serves this season and she has managed to hit only ten aces but committed fourteen double faults in 2024 so far. Both the players will be hungry to get the best result out of this game.

Vondrousova vs Rogers: Head-to-Head

It’s left versus right-handed! The duo hasn’t faced each other on the main tour. However, it was the right-handed, Shelby Rogers who had the last laugh over the lefty when they had once met at the 2016 ITF Wesley Chapel in the US. Rogers defeated Vondrousova by 2-6,7-6 (2),6-3 in that match. However, the Czech managed to hit six aces compared to only one by the American in the entire match. But Vondrousova committed thirteen double faults! Whereas Shelby Rogers committed only three double faults in that match. So precision will be the key for Vondrousova in this match.

Looking at their win percentages, Vondrousova won 73% of her first serve compared to only 56% by Rogers. While on the second serve the American had a better record than the Czech. Vondrousova converted five of her eleven breakpoints while Rogers could only manage four of her ten breakpoints. 

Prediction: Vondrousova to win this match and progress further into the tournament 

It’s number 7 versus the number 352 in the world! Marketa Vondrousova’s win-loss record is currently 8-5, while it’s just 3-4 for Shelby Rogers in the 2024 season. Vondrousova’s calm and composure will be tested against the experience of Rogers. However, Shelby Rogers reached the R32 of the Madrid Open last year, but Vondrousova lost her first match after the qualifiers last year. So, Rogers has a slight edge over here.

But Vondrousova has good records on the clay courts and it’s one of her favorite surfaces. She even reached the finals of the French Open in 2019. She is in fact a Grand Slam winner (but on a different surface)! Shelby Rogers, on the other hand, reached the QF of the French Open in 2016. So, they know how to bring out the best out of them on this surface. But looking at their current form, it seems like Marketa Vondrousova’s signature drop shot and her crafty style of play will come in handy to put her above her opponent who has struggled to find her A-game on the tour over the last few years.