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AEGON CLASSIC

June 13, 2016

Madison Keys

Birmingham, England

M. KEYS/T. Babos

7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Madison Keys, please.

Q. Were you pleased?
MADISON KEYS: I think for the most part, I played pretty well. I think I started off really well, and then there's definitely some bad moments in there.

First match on grass is always really tough. She's a really good player on grass, especially serving-wise. So it's always tough to get a read returning.

So overall, I was happy I was able to win, but definitely have some things to work.

Q. (Question regarding things going wrong as she started to serve out the first set.)
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, I think I was rushing a little bit. I think she also raised her level and returned really well that game.

Q. How did it feel to win seven points in a row to win the first tie-break?
MADISON KEYS: I think I got a read on a return, which was a big point. I think I served well a couple points here and there. But really I just kind of started putting the ball.

Q. With weather as it is, do you have a desperate feeling of getting off the court before it rains again?
MADISON KEYS: I think there's always the feeling that it could rain at any moment and you want to get the match going. After Paris, I feel like I'm a little traumatized. I think for me it was also I just wanted to get that first set. So I was just rushing through my motion more than anything, really trying almost to do too much with the ball. I wasn't really settling down in between points.

Q. (Question regarding activities during rain delay.)
MADISON KEYS: Sleep, play card games, and then I think the hardest thing is timing when to eat and when not to.

But for the first day we got rained out in Paris, I think I just literally stayed in bed and watched movies because I knew I wasn't going on.

The next day was tough. We stayed on site. I slept, I ate two or three lunches, played some cards. That was about it. Then about 6:30, we finally got to go home.

Q. What kind of card games?
MADISON KEYS: What did we play? We played President mostly and Speed, and I think that was it.

Q. Are you super competitive when playing cards?
MADISON KEYS: No (laughing).

Fingers get close to being broken possibly. I think being competitive carries only.

Q. Do you play with your coach? With players?
MADISON KEYS: Both.

Q. Whose the best of the other players?
MADISON KEYS: I'm the best.

Q. Obviously?
MADISON KEYS: Obviously. What kind of question is that (laughing).

I play a lot with the American guys. That doesn't ever get competitive.

President, unfortunately, I'm not the best. That usually goes to Rocket, our fitness trainer. He tends to be President.

Q. Where do you feel you can improve?
MADISON KEYS: It's more in my long game and strategy (laughing). Sometimes I get a little crazy and just get really aggressive just at the start. I don't think about later down the road when I could have used that attacking.

Q. You got your first match under your belt, does that take a little pressure off you?
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, I think that first match on grass is always a little bit nerve-wracking. It's definitely a tough surface to just go out and play a good match when first starting. I think getting that first one under my belt feels really good.

Hopefully I'm able to build off it and get confidence from it and keep hopefully the good parts of what I did today and less of the bad parts.

Q. How many matches does it take to get used to this surface, especially coming off clay?
MADISON KEYS: I think it takes two or three. But I think it's one of those surfaces where when you're playing well, you can play really well and it goes quick. But when you're playing badly, it amplifies everything.

I think it's important when you're playing well to stay focused and not get ahead of yourself, and when you're playing badly, slow things down and take a second and try to reassess.

Q. Do you have a target for this grass court season? Any specific tournaments or goals?
MADISON KEYS: Obviously I want to do as well as I can. I love to walk away with a trophy or two. But the biggest thing is really focusing on the consistency.

At the beginning of the year, it was really tough injury-wise and all of that. So far, knock on wood, I've been really healthy since the start of the red clay and I feel I'm much more consistent in my match play and things like that. So I really just want to keep that up.

Q. Do you think that helps you for the rest of year now?
MADISON KEYS: I definitely feel match confident in that I can figure some stuff out because I think even when I wasn't playing my best tennis, I was figuring out how to win.

Clay and grass are completely different. So confidence-wise, yes, but game-wise, I don't think it totally translates.

Q. Does it feel like this has been the longest time that you've been healthy?
MADISON KEYS: Yes.

Q. Because it that feels like it.
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, unfortunately, the beginning of the year wasn't totally tennis related. It was walking. Clearly you can't do that all of the time. So that was tough because I slipped and I broke my arm.

Then going into Australia not having -- I really didn't hit backhands until five days before The Open. I think it was a lot for my body to go from hitting from hitting for an hour to playing three, four really long matches. Kind of broke down.

Since then I've been pretty good and pretty healthy, so I've been really happy about that.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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