	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

BNP PARIBAS WTA FINALS SINGAPORE

October 25, 2016

Madison Keys

Kallang, Singapore

M. KEYS/D. Cibulkova

6-1, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. That was quite a change from the first round, wasn't it?
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, that was a little bit better than the first round. (Smiling.) Definitely really happy with how I kind of turned things around. You know, just went out and played my game. I think I did a lot of things a lot better.

You know, just really allowed myself to play good tennis.

Q. You seemed on fast forward with your serve. You never gave her an opportunity to break. Talk a little bit about how important that shot is to your success in matches.
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, that's a huge thing, especially for me. You know, just makes me feel a little bit more comfortable when you're not really facing break points and you're able to get those games.

I think that gives me the ability to focus more on the return and trying to take advantage when I get break points.

Q. Did you watch the Muguruza and Pliskova game last night and that's why you decided you didn't want to end so late today?
MADISON KEYS: That definitely went really long and I watched a lot of those matches. I wasn't really thinking about those matches during mine.

Q. Is it really just an issue of a new day, turn the page on the first match, or how much did getting all the nerves out and understanding the experience of playing on that court at the Finals, getting that all out of you in the first match kind of unlocks your game today?
MADISON KEYS: I think a big part of it was just more knowing what to expect and knowing those certain feelings were going to come up. It was no longer a new thing anymore, and I think that helped a lot of that just gave me the ability to kind of regroup and refocus and just focus on what I needed to do.

Q. Wonder what you've made of Singapore so far.
MADISON KEYS: Unfortunately, I haven't done much. My credit card has taken kind of a beating this week. Other than that, I have pretty much just been practicing and then going back to my room and watching matches on TV.

Q. Now you opened yourself up to tell us what exactly you've been purchasing. My other question is I assume you've seen Sveta cut off her hair. What was your reaction to that and could you ever imagine doing that yourself?
MADISON KEYS: No. I don't know what she was doing. I was just wondering what was bothering her so much.

Q. (No microphone.)
MADISON KEYS: She cut a lot off. Clearly it wasn't going into her face anymore. That was shocking. I will never be doing that. Ever. Good for her for giving herself a haircut.

Q. And your purchases?
MADISON KEYS: Well, I bought a bag. Like I'm not even going out to do all in I shopping. I've been online shopping as well. I bought like five pairs of shoes the other day online because I couldn't sleep.

Yeah, and my mom keeps calling me and saying, Is this you? Yeah. Just let it go through. Don't question anything.

Q. This is going to be an odd question, but like hair during playing sports, okay?
MADISON KEYS: Okay.

Q. Women have different ponytail situations. Some go with the bun and some go with the low ponytail, some with the high. How much do you have to when you're younger figure that out, like what works for you? Does it just not matter at all?
MADISON KEYS: I think I've pretty much always been a bun person. I don't like if it's moving around or if I can feel it or anything like that. I usually have like seven hair ties in so that it doesn't move either, and I pretty much figured that out from day one and I've never turned back.

I've tried a ponytail or a braid before. Hit me in the face. Wasn't digging it. Instead of cutting my hair I just put it in a bun.

Q. Somewhat hesitant to bring it back to tennis because this is so much fun. But your next match, this must give you a great amount of confidence now because you're still in the mix.
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, it's always good going into a match knowing you're not out of the tournament. Yeah, today I think I played really well. I think especially my serve. I felt like I got a great rhythm off it of.

You know, going into what, on Thursday, it's going to be a tough match. But I'm really, really looking forward to it.

Q. I'm going back to the shoes. You said you couldn't sleep so you bought shoes. People usually count sheep. Did you count your shoes?
MADISON KEYS: No, I was just adding to my shoes. Yeah, I couldn't sleep. I thought, What better way to kill some time than going through pages and pages of shoes? You know, seven pairs later I could fall asleep.

Q. Conditions on court, has the court changed at all in the last few days? Does it change if there are more or less people in the crowd? Is it still a little bit slow? Is it quicker than you think or...
MADISON KEYS: No, I think it's still playing slow and low bounces. I think the more practice you can get on it the more comfortable you feel on it. I definitely think having a match on it can really help your rhythm, even if it's not a great match, just getting used to the ball.

Q. Does that mean you're having to get a lot lower as well?
MADISON KEYS: Yes, unfortunately.

Q. Speaking of your next match, Angie Kerber, who you know very, very well as an opponent, the particular challenges of facing her and specifically on this court. Does that change anything in the matchup at all?
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, I mean, she's always tough to play; even tougher to play on a slower court.

I think going out there and looking at what I've done well against her before and what I haven't done well could definitely help me. I think also playing with nothing to lose is going to be a huge thing.

Rio was definitely playing with a lot more nerves and things like that. You know, I think kind of tapping into that experience and seeing even in a big, nervous situation, I think I still did a lot of things well.

So just kind of looking at that, and luckily the court is a little bit faster than it was in Rio.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297