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BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL

January 8, 2020

Madison Keys

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

M. KEYS/S. Stosur

7-5, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Who has the first question?

Q. Congratulations. You were 0-3 against her previously. Did you have a different game plan that you were going with today or was it just a matter of better execution? What was the deal?
MADISON KEYS: I think it was just better execution. Sam obviously has a great serve and a great forehand and she's really tricky off of her slice. So I've known that in the past. I just felt like in the past I wasn't doing a great job at handling my side of the court.

Q. We were talking to Danielle a little bit earlier who you'll play next and she was saying that you guys used to be pen pals?
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, when we were really little, I guess. I don't remember it, but she's like, yeah, my mom found all of these notes that we wrote back and forth to each other.

Q. But you don't have any recollection of it? How it started?
MADISON KEYS: I was like 10. I don't know. I mean, we played juniors together, so I've known Danielle since, I think I was actually like 10 years old. So I've known her for a really long time. I think we were like on Zonals teams together and things like that. So we lived close to each other, we saw a lot of each other, apparently we wrote to each other.

Q. How does it feel to get these two wins into the quarterfinals as just the start of your season? And what do you think is particularly clicking and transitioning from the practice court to the play court?
MADISON KEYS: It's great to get two matches under your belt. It's always really important to feel good going into a Slam. You always just feel a little bit more comfortable once you can get that first win and then back it up with another one. I think, honestly, I think my serve has been really great and has gotten me out of some possibly tricky spots at times. And I think I've just been staying really calm and dealing with situations in a very calm manner and not freaking out.

Q. In the past when you've played Sam she's tactically tried to get that kick serve into your backhand. So how did -- today it seemed like you handled it pretty well this time on the return. Was that, again, execution or did you feel like you cut it off a little bit better? What do you think?
MADISON KEYS: I think it was the first time today where I really went for it and just stood inside of the baseline and knew I was probably going to mis-hit one or two, but I knew there was probably going to be one or two that I mis-timed a little bit, but standing in and going for it and just trying to get a good rip off of the first ball was the best game plan.

Q. What was Danielle Collins like as a kid?
MADISON KEYS: The same.

Q. Meaning what?
MADISON KEYS: You know what I mean (laughing).

Q. You gave the exact same answer when I asked you about Sofia Kenin.
MADISON KEYS: Yep. No, Danielle has been the exact same person. She's hilarious and just very full of energy and a big personality, but she's also like the most caring, nice person that you'll ever meet. When she gets on a tennis court she just wants to destroy everyone who is in her way.

Q. Have you seen her this week because she has been destroying people this week.
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, I was, I had no idea that I was playing her next round. And I didn't see any of her first round. I just saw that she won it in like under an hour. And then I watched part of the first set today and it was a joke. Yeah.

Q. So what do you think it will be like to go up against her in this kind of form?
MADISON KEYS: It's going to be tough. She's playing incredibly well and really ripping and going for shots and she's making pretty much all of them right now. So it's one of those things where I got to go out and just try to focus on my side and see what happens.

Q. And then how will be changing to stadium for, Rafter Arena for the remainder of this tournament, and I don't know if you've practiced on there yet at all or -- there haven't been many chances for women to practice on there, but what is it like having that sort of new court --
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, I mean, it happens. It happens sometimes like that. You get to a tournament, the stadium is full and then you get further into a tournament and then you get to play on it. So we'll try to sneak out tomorrow and see if we can get some time on there. But I've also played on that stadium a lot, so pretty used to it.

Q. Sam had said that it wasn't right that this tournament had to go to the outside court while the ATP Cup was on. I think Maria said last night it felt like sort of a secondhand tournament almost. What do you think? Is it fair that you guys have had to play on the outside courts for three days?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, I think it just kind of is what it is. It's just the situation that we ended up in and, obviously, we all want to be able to play on the stadium court. And again, we didn't really have any say in it, and we were told that we're going to be on the two outside courts, and I think that we're all just trying to win some matches and get ready for Melbourne.

Q. Are you keen for a maybe a WTA cup like the ATP Cup?
MADISON KEYS: I definitely love the idea of team, adding a team event into the season. I think it would be really fun. And we all love playing Fed Cup, and I think being able to do that during the season for a WTA event would be really fun.

Q. Looks like there's a new ball this year, both here at this tournament and then, I guess, in at Melbourne, it will be the Dunlop balls, I guess you guys are playing with here. Have you noticed any difference in how those are playing compared to how --
MADISON KEYS: Are they different than last year?

Q. That's what I was told. Am I wrong?
MADISON KEYS: I think they're the same. I think last year was the first year that they had Dunlop.

Q. Oh, last year was the first year that they used Dunlop. Okay.
MADISON KEYS: They're definitely different than -- yeah because last year we used the Dunlop and the year before it was Wilson. So last year was the first year. They're definitely different. When they come out of the can they're like rockets, but I was lucky enough that, not only did we have some left over from last off season, but we got some sent, so we got to practice with them, so I've gotten pretty used to them.

Q. I assume you like rocket balls.
MADISON KEYS: They're fun.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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