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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 28, 2015

Madison Keys

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

M. KEYS/V. Williams
6-3, 4-6, 6-4
An interview with:
MADISON KEYS

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Tell us how you were feeling 1-4 down in the second, off the court getting treatment.
MADISON KEYS: It was definitely kind of a flashback to Wimbledon for me. Have had some problems with that part of my leg. So it was kind of an overwhelming moment. It was kind of scary. But luckily was able to catch it before I did any real damage to it. You know, luckily the painkillers and adrenaline in the end kind of helped me get through it.

Q. Did you feel it on that backhand you hit? Did you feel it coming into this match at all?
MADISON KEYS: I felt it since the beginning. It's been tight, but it's been something that, you know, with some treatment it's been fine. Then one shot in the match, all of a sudden I felt it kind of really get tight. I thought I was close to pulling it. So at that moment, you know, I ignored it at Wimbledon, and, you know, tore it, which ultimately made me have to withdraw. At that moment it was kind of a panic of, I need to get some tape on this so I don't do that again.

Q. How does it feel now?
MADISON KEYS: It still hurts. Definitely going to be getting some treatment on that. Hoping I can get it as good as possible for tomorrow.

Q. Is it your thigh particularly? What's the actual injury?
MADISON KEYS: My left adductor.

Q. How do you think you will cope mentally carrying that injury going into the biggest match of your life?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, I think it's one of those things where all of us have dealt with injuries before. It's one of those things where it's probably going to hurt, I'm probably going to have tape on it, but I'm just going to do my absolute best and enjoy the moment.

Q. Besides all the pain, you won a very big match today.
MADISON KEYS: Yeah (smiling).

Q. That's nice to talk about. What are you proudest of in how you were able to tough that out on this stage against that opponent?
MADISON KEYS: I think just being able to come back from being down and from not being able to move as well, not having as effective of a serve, just being able to kind of grind through that, still figure it out, manage to win some points, is what I'm most happy about.

Q. You're the third 19-year-old in a row to make the semifinals here. Eugenie did it last year; Sloane did it the year before that. Did those runs at all make you think this was possible?
MADISON KEYS: I think Genie and Sloane are both really talented and can play some really good tennis. It's not super surprising they made semifinals. But, no, it's one of those things when you see some of your fellow peers doing well, going deep in tournaments, it's inspirational. Makes you kind of believe that you can do the same.

Q. Did you get the sense you could kind of break her serve at will?
MADISON KEYS: I don't think 'at will'. I wish I could have done that. She still has an amazing serve. She's still an amazing player. So at that point it was harder for me to serve. I felt like it was becoming easier for her to break me. So I felt towards the end I really had to focus on the return games a lot more and really making balls and trying to get as many points as possible.

Q. The winners count was 30-14 in your favor. Did you consciously resolve to go for it even more after the injury?
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, at that point I knew I couldn't run as much. I knew if I was going to get stretched out it was going to be more painful. It was kind of that thing if you have it, go for it, because I'm probably not going to last that long in a rally. That's kind of what I did.

Q. Last year you were saying how great it was to hear positive comments about American tennis. In the big picture, is it a little bit of a blur? Are you dialed in and it's one step at a time or is it amazing?
MADISON KEYS: It's definitely an amazing moment. I'm enjoying those moments for little bits of time and then refocusing and thinking about the next round.

Q. How have you been enjoying it?
MADISON KEYS: Well, I've been eating TimTams. There's that. But, no, more just being happy and enjoying the moment, kind of realizing what's been going on, but then also not getting carried away and staying very focused.

Q. Talk about how Lindsay prepared you for this match today, what kinds of things she told you last night or this morning to get you ready.
MADISON KEYS: I mean, she obviously played Venus a couple of times. She was just saying that she's going to have great serves; she's going to have great shots. It's one of those things where when she starts playing really well, you can't panic or get too far ahead of yourself. Really just stay focused on you and just do your best. Constantly try to keep some pressure on her.

Q. I know you've dreamed about this for a long time. Does it feel like you thought it would feel or does it feel more normal than you thought it would feel?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, it definitely feels amazing. It's one of those things where you want to feel this way all the time. But it's not, you know, this unbelievable excitement either 'cause you want to keep winning and you want to keep doing better. I am very happy and I am very excited, but also not getting too far ahead of myself and being too content where I am.

Q. Your form was a little was a little bit up and down coming in I guess end of last year. Can you pinpoint a moment where it all turned around? I guess maybe the start of the second set against Casey here?
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, I mean, I've had some good wins; I've had some bad losses. That's been my goal for the year, just being more consistent. Even playing badly, not being horrible. But, I mean, I think I've just kind of figured it out a little bit more. Just been more consistent and playing better. I don't think it was specifically one point. I think it's just getting better and better over time.

Q. To add to what I heard from Courtney, you've read Li Na's biography and you found it really inspirational. Max was saying he gave you the book during the week in Eastbourne last year and you won the tournament later on. What did you get from reading that book?
MADISON KEYS: I think as much as Max would like to hear it, I did not read that book that week, so he can't take credit for that (laughter). But I did read it eventually. I think she had similar troubles in staying positive, which I've had similar problems, as well. Just seeing her step away from tennis for so long and then decide to come back because she loves the sport, really just kind of her different mind frame was really inspirational. I learned a lot from that.

Q. You talked on the court about the moment of playing Venus. What would it be like to play Venus in the quarterfinal and Serena in the semifinal?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, I have a feeling that's what's going to happen. I can tell you tomorrow.

Q. How do you prepare for Serena? You haven't played her before. Obviously No. 1, top American, 18-time Grand Slam champion? How to you begin to attack all those things?
MADISON KEYS: It's just one of those things where I have to go out and I have to do my best and I have to really just have to stay focused on my side of the court, because she's obviously very, very good and she's going to play very well. So if I get too focused on what she's doing I think I can kind of let the moment get away from me. So I'm just really going to stay focused on myself.

Q. With the power and such a flat ball that you possess, when you go out there do you always feel the match is off your racquet?
MADISON KEYS: I don't think so. I think against Petra and I think against Venus there was a lot of back-and-forth rallies where they had the edge, as well. I'm trying to have more matches where it's off of my racquet, where I'm dictating, but I don't think it's my match.

Q. Aren't you supposed to have two coaches this year?
MADISON KEYS: Originally Lindsay was going to help me out until I could find a full-time coach, and then she decided she really liked it and could figure something out.

Q. That's why it didn't work out with Wim?
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, it was just too many voices and things like that. Then Lindsay decided that she could make it more of a full-time thing.

Q. Going into the quarterfinals, you said you had your eye on a handbag. Do you now have your eye on a better handbag?
MADISON KEYS: I'm just going to stick with the handbag for now. Maybe when I'm out shopping for that handbag, maybe I'll see something else.

Q. You mentioned having trouble staying positive. Can you reflect on what was involved with the process?
MADISON KEYS: I think it was just getting down on myself. Obviously you're not going to play well every single week. It was more that. It definitely wasn't because I wasn't winning every week. That's just not going to happen. But it was more feeling disappointed in myself for having bad losses. I think having a more positive outlook has kind of helped with those.

Q. Before today did the fan in you think Venus and Serena in another Grand Slam semifinal would be cool?
MADISON KEYS: Personally I was kind of thinking I would really like to be in the semifinals. But I wasn't really thinking about that.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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