QATAR TOTAL OPEN

March 2, 2021

Madison Keys

Press Conference

M. KEYS/B. Bencic

6-4, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Was this the ideal match for you to have in your first match back?

MADISON KEYS: Honestly, I don't think on paper it typically is. She's obviously just coming off of a couple of really great matches and doing well and a really tough opponent.

On paper, probably not, but I think, you know, she's probably not used to the courts and I had a couple of days here. It worked out pretty well for me tonight, and I think I played a really good match.

Q. Is there anything that you can pinpoint as to why you think you won tonight? I mean, it looks like you got off to a good start in the first set and then you came on strong towards the end of the second set.

MADISON KEYS: I think a little bit is I don't think I'm a great matchup for her. She has a really, really good backhand, and I think I was able to dictate with my forehand a little bit better today, so I think that was probably why.

I think I just served really well and kept the pressure on her on the return games.

Q. I suppose your form would be a mystery to everyone, given the lengthy layoff with the neck injury and the COVID. What a statement of an intent, and you got everyone's noses here at Doha this weekend.

MADISON KEYS: Yeah, I'm really happy with how I came out and played today. I'm a little bit surprised with myself but hoping to keep the momentum going tomorrow.

Q. Your service game was just too strong for Belinda. She sort of struggled with your service game throughout. You mentioned there in terms of it being a matchup for her, you haven't played since 2015, was the last time you played. Obviously she's coming off a great run of form so she would have been a bit confident given your layoff in that you haven't played in such a long time.

MADISON KEYS: Yeah, I think once you haven't played each other for five to seven years, you can kind of go back to the drawing board and not totally use those previous matches, because I think we have both gotten a lot better since then.

But she obviously is coming off of some great matches in Australia and I'm first match back. Overall really happy with how I played today and hoping to do that again tomorrow.

Q. It's a very specific question, but I believe it was 3-1 in the second set, it was a deuce point, she had had a breakpoint, you fought it off. She had an approach-shot backhand. You kind of anticipated it and hit a beautiful on-the-run forehand. In that moment it felt like you seized control of the rest of the match. Did you feel that in the moment? And obviously, given the layoff, to execute a shot like that and execute how you did today, I imagine you're feeling pretty good, as you have stated?

MADISON KEYS: I don't think I could say that I planned that forehand. I think it had a lot to do with guessing the right direction and a little bit of luck.

I think that game was really pivotal in the second set, and once I was able to get out of that tough game I obviously did well to close out the rest of the match.

But it just goes to show that every point and every game in a set can be kind of the momentum changer, so obviously happy to get that point but just really happy with how I competed today.

Q. Your serve will always be important to your game, but in particular, given the lack of match play you have under your belt right now, how important is that first serve to you and everything you want to do on court?

MADISON KEYS: I think whether I have played one match or a hundred matches, my first serve is my weapon. If I'm serving well, things are usually going well for me. I think it's a really important part of my game, something that I focused on a lot.

Obviously tonight it showed that when I'm serving well and hitting my spots, I can get ahead in the point.

Q. I'm sure it must have been a disappointment that you were unable to play in the Australian Open. Do you think that you benefited in the long run from having the few extra weeks off before coming to Doha, or would you like to have gotten some matches under your belt in Australia last month?

MADISON KEYS: I definitely wished I could have gone to Australia. I am glad that I found out before I left, because I did not want to be responsible for putting more people in quarantine. So I was happy about that.

But I was very, very disappointed and really, really wish I could have played in Australia this year. But I think the past year has just kind of showed us that we have to kind of roll with the punches and make the best of things.

I was able to get back out on the court pretty quickly and practice, and now I'm back on tour and hoping to have a really good season.