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ROGERS CUP

July 28, 2016

Madison Keys

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

M. KEYS/V. Williams

6-1, 6-7, 6-3

An interview with:

MADISON KEYS

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Kind of blew through that first set, then things got a little sticky after that. Talk through the match. How did it kind of twist and turn?
MADISON KEYS: I definitely started really well, then I think she for sure raised her level. I got a little tight, played a couple bad points here and there. All of a sudden it was back even.

Then I think in the third set I just played one game returning a little bit better and smarter. After that, I think my serve really helped me.

Q. Can you tell us what changes you've made to your serve and what focus you've put on that.
MADISON KEYS: I've mostly just worked on mixing it up and not hitting the same spot over and over again. I feel like before I was definitely letting opponents read my serve. So I've really been working on mixing it up, sometimes even going for second serves just to keep them on their toes a little bit more.

Q. Venus obviously wasn't serving at full pace. It must have felt different to be able to take big cuts at the Venus Williams' serve.
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, her first serve was definitely slower than normal. But it was funny, her second serve was a lot slower, but because of the court it was bouncing a lot higher than normal. So while her first serve was a little easier to return, her second serve was really tough.

Q. When you face an opponent like this who is not serving at full speed, can it sort of set off your timing a little bit for early tomorrow?
MADISON KEYS: For tomorrow?

Q. For your next game.
MADISON KEYS: I don't think so. I think tomorrow I'm going to go out and warm up and hit returns, and I don't think it will really be an issue.

Q. Through the first couple of matches here, physically everything is good? Also, in a match like tonight, how much does that sort of match physically take out of you? It was a three-set match. Did you feel like you had to work as hard as what would typically be a three-set match?
MADISON KEYS: I don't think so. I think the way we both play, we're not out there grinding points for, you know, two and a half hours or anything. It was a three-set match. Most of the points were a lot shorter. It didn't feel physically like a long three-set match. So physically I feel really good.

Q. Pavlyuchenkova tomorrow. Can you talk about that matchup. Both big hitters. What do you expect to see in that match?
MADISON KEYS: I think it will be similar to today, you know, kind of deciding when to just get the ball back in in a good, neutral spot, or when to kind of pull the trigger and be a little bit more aggressive.

She's obviously playing really well, seeing how she did at Wimbledon and here. So it's going to be a tough match. She's always tricky because she definitely fights till the end and she's going to hit a lot of winners.

Q. It's obviously tempting when you're playing a defensive player to be aggressive and take initiative. Against a player like Venus or Pavlyuchenkova, who are constantly coming at you, is there also a temptation to kind of match that?
MADISON KEYS: I think so. I think it's important to do that. I also think you have to balance it with taking a step back, maybe just getting a couple of balls in. Just the way all three of us play, where there's going to be winners, there's going to be errors sometimes. I think it's taking a step back sometimes and really recognizing when you can take the initiative and be aggressive.

Q. When did you learn how to take that step back in your career?
MADISON KEYS: Like three days ago, and it's still not settling in all the way (smiling).

Still a work in progress.

Q. You seemed to have flattened your shot out. Is that a conscious effort?
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, I think so. I think when I'm in a more either defensive position or a neutral position, I'm trying to get more spin over the net, I'm trying to hit a better ball just to give myself time. If I'm stepping into the ball or if I feel like I have the right shot for it, I'm going to flatten it out and go for my shots more.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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