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July 2, 2015
LONDON, ENGLAND
M. KEYS/E. Kulichkova
6‑4, 7‑6
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Is it fair to take whatever struggles you have been having lately and still winning is a really good sign and a good step that if you can struggle and still pull it out, that's the whole idea? Bottom line, that's an important stage in being a great player?
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, I think it's really important being able to win when you're not playing your best, or, you know, you come into a tournament not having a lot of matches and kind of struggling through some early rounds.
But I think that's just, you know, getting better, you know, learning how to figure things out.
Q. Was today a little bit of a struggle or not as much as the other match?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, I think I played pretty well today. I think I played better than the first round.
My opponent was really good, and she's going to be around, for sure. I was just really happy.
Q. What impressed you about her game?
MADISON KEYS: I think the way that she was going for her shots was really, really surprising, you know. In tight moments she kept going for it, and she never really gave me, you know, a free point on big points or anything.
So I think that was‑‑ you know, it was kind of surprising but I was just really, really happy I was able to get through it.
Q. Are you working with Scott?
MADISON KEYS: Yes.
Q. When did that start?
MADISON KEYS: That started like two weeks after the French.
Q. How has it been going so far?
MADISON KEYS: So far, so good.
Q. Not injured?
MADISON KEYS: Not injured. No complaints. I feel like knocking on some wood.
Q. Is it something you've got to work on, winning on days when you're not at your best, or have you always been pretty good at that?
MADISON KEYS: I definitely have not always been good at that. It's something that I'm getting better at and still working on and kind of trying to figure out how to win with plan B and not plan A all the time.
Q. Is that the trick, if there is one, to it? You see Serena doing it all the time. I mean, what is sort of the magic to that?
MADISON KEYS: I think that's just ‑‑I think the top players are just really, really good at that.  They can be playing, you know, their B or C game and can still figure out ways to win.
Q. Do you feel out there these days after Australia that people look at you a little different, play you a little different, maybe playing with less pressure against you now that you've had some moments where you have done really well? Does that loosen up opponents when they come out to play you, you think?
MADISON KEYS: I think so. I think I have slowly kind of become the higher‑ranked person or the person who has had more wins and things like that.
So I think it's definitely kind of starting to happen, and it's kind of an adjustment. But, you know, so far I have solely been managing to figure it out.
Q. I imagine Lindsay can help you with that a little bit.  Is that stuff you have talked about or it's a weird change?
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, she's definitely been helpful about it. Everyone was going out and playing her and she was supposed to win and things like that. So she's definitely kind of been helping me through all of that.
Q. What does she kind of tell you specifically about managing expectations?
MADISON KEYS: You know, she just really tells me the only expectations that you really need to worry about are yours and your team's. So if you can go out and you can live up to your expectations, you just don't really need to worry about anyone else's.
Q. You're doing well, Sloane is coming back, and as we talked about, there's a nice group of American women. As you guys progress or are doing better, is it going to be harder to keep that friendship? Because competition and friendship are a little...
MADISON KEYS: I don't think so. I think, you know, at the end of the day tennis on the court and off the court are two different things. I think you can go out and play someone and you both want to win and you're both going to fight.
At the end of the day, you can walk off the court and still like each other as people.
Q. I think you're staying in the apartment where Lindsay used to stay here. So how is it? How is her taste? Is it good? Are you happy with it?
MADISON KEYS: It's really nice. It's been especially nice because my sisters and mom are here, so they can walk every day. It has an amazing view of Wimbledon. It's pretty cool every morning.
Q. It's a tall building? A big building?
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, it's one of the buildings that overlooks the grounds.
Q. Lindsay seems to be staying in a place with a pool, if the picture is right.
MADISON KEYS: Yes.
Q. Have you been over there for a little swim?
MADISON KEYS: I was over there once. I think I might go over there for the trampoline (laughter).
Q. She's upgraded to better digs?
MADISON KEYS: Yes.
Q. Have you been having as much fun as you ever have had when there wasn't as much pressure or expectation? Is it still fun for you?
MADISON KEYS: For sure. I think it would be really hard if it wasn't fun.
You know, it's a learning experience and kind of trying to figure it out every day, but that's the fun of getting better and trying to continue to improve every day.
Q. The cameras seemed to catch you grooving to something when you walked out on court. So what was the song that you were listening to?
MADISON KEYS: I honestly have no idea (smiling). I mean, I always have music on, and, I mean, sometimes you have your music on and you start dancing to yourself. It just happens.
Q. You're playing mixed with Nick. How did that come along? Are you concerned that he's going to say some words that you have never heard before?
MADISON KEYS: I'm going to tell him to be on his best behavior. We will see if he listens to me.
But, you know, it will be fun. I mean, I feel like on grass if you can get as much practice as you can, you know, whether it be returns, working on volleys, little things like that can help me get better.
Nick volunteered to play with me. Should be fun.
Q. How does that work? Is that an exchange of text messages? Was it down near the signing desk? How exactly did it work? Your agents back here sniggering in the back? Who put it together?
MADISON KEYS: Max definitely didn't put it together. We were just kind of talking about it. You know, he kind of just, Well, we can play mixed together. I was like, Okay, why not? We'll see if we can get in.
Just kind of happened like that.
Q. I have heard you say in the past you were kind of cool living away from the sisters who were taking some of your stuff. How does it work in the apartment with mom and the sisters?
MADISON KEYS: It's fine (smiling). You know, whenever I go home I live with them and so we are still very close.
Somehow, even not living in the same house, my clothes still go missing. I feel like no matter what that's never going to change.
Q. Do you look at the draw at all? Analysts, as they will do, were saying with seeds falling your draw looks pretty good, your quarter of the draw. Do you do that, pay attention?
MADISON KEYS: I don't really pay attention to it. I'm not one of those people that, you know, won't look at a draw or anything like that, but I really haven't paid attention to it or anything like that.
Q. Do you know anything about your next opponent, a German player?
MADISON KEYS: I know she's had a couple of good wins this year and she's been doing well, but other than that, I don't know a lot about her.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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