January 13, 2015
SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES
T. PIRONKOVA/M. Keys
4‑6, 1‑4 (ret.)
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Physically what's happening?
MADISON KEYS: Just hit a serve weird and just kind of impinged my shoulder a little bit. Tried to play through it a couple more games; started getting worse.
Just didn't want to push it too hard and end up getting worse.
Q. Was it last week too at all? Was it hurting at all last week?
MADISON KEYS: No. It was really just today.
Q. So this was kind of surprising today.
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, kind of out of nowhere. One shot, felt it.
Q. Been the last time in a while, no?
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, it's been a while.
Q. Months?
MADISON KEYS: Probably years.
Q. Is it something they told you it's going to get better in a few days?
MADISON KEYS: Yeah. No, it's nothing serious or anything like that. More just didn't want to put myself in a compromising position and end up hurting it more.
Q. How was the match going before that happened?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, I thought I was playing pretty well. I was serving well. Played a good game to break in the first set. She played a good game in the first game of the second set. It was close, so it was a good, competitive match.
At that point, I mean, I was obviously up the first set, so it could have been close two‑set match; could have gone three. Could have been a good match, yeah.
Q. Is there any disappointment that you can't get to the semifinal or further like you did last year, or more just happy to continue onto the next week and focus on that?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, there is always disappointment when you have to pull out of a tournament. But at the same time, I didn't want to end up pulling something or tearing something and doing something worse and having to pull out of the Aussie Open.
Q. So what did the doctor say? Two days? Three days? Four days?
MADISON KEYS: It was more not really a day thing. It's getting the ribs to move back into the right place, getting muscles loosened up, and just being careful and making sure I'm doing the right things.
They told me I should be fine for next Monday.
Q. (No microphone.)
MADISON KEYS: I think I played some good matches. I think I've improved in a lot of ways. You know, it's just one of those things where I have to go in and keep trying to work on my game and get better.
But I'm feeling pretty good about it.
Q. What's a good 2015 going to be for you?
MADISON KEYS: You know, I've really just been focusing on having more consistent results and coming off the court and not thinking I beat myself or just lots of errors and things like that.
So for me, I think having consistently solid matches, even when I'm not playing well, is my biggest goal.
Q. So you'll see Lindsay soon, I would imagine.
MADISON KEYS: Yes.
Q. You're totally ready for that?
MADISON KEYS: Yes. She's actually about to board a flight right now.
Q. So when she heard about it today was she like, Oh, my God, what happened to you?
MADISON KEYS: That was more Max. I sent an immediate email saying, Don't freak out. It's fine. She understands. She played. She gets it. Said, Good call. Let's get it better, and we'll do whatever we can to get ready.
Q.  Talk a little bit about why you guys get along so well.
MADISON KEYS: I think we're really‑‑ we're very similar in a lot of ways, so it's especially nice for me when something is going on and I kind of am reacting to it the way she would have reacted to, and she can kind of talk me through it.
But she's super nice, super friendly, and unbelievably helpful. Just been really amazing that she's been willing to help me.
Q. Does she get your sarcasm?
MADISON KEYS: Yes, she does.
Q. Is that a sarcastic comment?
MADISON KEYS: No, it's not. She will come up with a few sarcastic comments of her own, so we get along well.
Q. Is she traveling with the kids?
MADISON KEYS: Two of the kids are coming, Jagger and Lauren.
Q. Is that a different vibe when you have the kids around? Do you get along with them?
MADISON KEYS: I think it's fun, especially Jagger. He loves hitting, so half the time my fitness coach is on the court next to me playing with Jagger. It's fun. Just keeps it different.
I grew up in a big family, so I'm used to having kids running around and things like that.
Q. So you can baby‑sit, too.
MADISON KEYS: I'm a great baby‑sitter, too.
Q. When they're crying you can say, Okay, bye. See you.
MADISON KEYS: No. I can handle crying babies, so I'm good.
Q. You're still one of the younger players on the tour and you've got a long career ahead of you. Are you having fun? Is it exciting? Is it good? Are you happy? I don't know what I'm saying.
MADISON KEYS: I think if I wasn't having fun or wasn't happy I don't think I would be doing it anymore.
Not very many people get to play a sport for their job and travel the world and do the things that we do, so I feel very fortunate for that.
Yeah, having fun. Obviously want to be top 10, top 5 as quickly as possible. But at the same time, realizing I'm 19; I have some time.
So not stressing about it, but also still having that sense of urgency.
Q. What about all the changes you see at the top of the game? Do you feel like the top players are really strong or are there some opportunities there to breakthrough?
MADISON KEYS: I think even as we saw last year, there was always, once in a while at a tournament, a top player would go down to one of the younger girls.
So there would be kind of not what you would think happening in the draws and stuff like that. I mean, with Genie and Garbine at the French.
So obviously Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, they're all doing very well still. But I think there is slowly becoming more and more opportunities.
Q. Did you get to watch any of Serena in Hopman Cup? What did you think if you did?
MADISON KEYS: I didn't really get to see any of it. The time change was a little difficult to watch. I heard about the espresso, which I thought was pretty funny.
No, happy that they made it to the finals and made it a competitive match.
Q. Is that going to become a thing now?
MADISON KEYS: I don't think so, but knowing that you can ask for one if you need one is nice.
Q. So you've had coffee during matches?
MADISON KEYS: I haven't done coffee during matches. Fed Cup we've cracked open a Coke or something just for like the doubles and all that, which Monfils has done as well.
So coffee, I think that's a first for it.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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