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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPENAugust 14, 2012Madison KeysCINCINNATI, OHIO R. VINCI/M. Keys THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. I saw you in Miami. How has your year been going since then, do you think? How do you assess your progress? MADISON KEYS: It's been pretty good so far. I don't even remember what I have done all this summer. I know I won around in Wimbledon qualifying this year, which was good. It was my first year. And then I played ‑‑ the last couple of weeks I have played 250s, a 100, I have won two or three matches each tournament, qualified here, you know, so I think it's been pretty good so far. Q. Looking at today's match, the first set you had an overrule on a pretty important point. Bad luck. The match was 6‑3, 6‑3, but it was a lot closer than that. The second set you were right there a couple points. Against a veteran like that, is that a pretty good showing, do you think? MADISON KEYS: Yeah, I mean, I feel pretty good about it. Obviously I wish I could have done some things better. I mean, I think I did my best today. You know, I'm kind of reassessing it in my head, so next time maybe I can do a little bit better. I mean, you know, proud that I qualified. I was down 4‑0 in the first set, so, I mean, I came back and I played pretty good after that. I'm pretty happy with it. Q. You won a few wildcard playoffs to get into Grand Slams. I know they phased out that system. How do you feel about that switch? MADISON KEYS: I mean, I personally think that it makes it very fair. I think with the single tournament that people could argue that there's only eight people that could possibly get it. Now with the three tournaments it's pretty much any U.S. American. I think it's great. I think it makes us much more competitive. Instead of just maybe having one good tournament, it kind of makes a person have to put together more than one tournament. You have to put together two or three. Q. This summer playing in the metropolises of Yakima and ‑ well Lexington and Vancouver are a little better. You run into players on the rise like yourself. Today you're up against a seasoned veteran. Does that feel different out there? She's so experienced. MADISON KEYS: Well, I mean, she's obviously where she is for a reason. When I'm playing in Yakima, Washington, I'm playing, you know, Samantha Crawford and Shelby Rogers. We play against each other all the time. You know, I feel like when you play your friends and even just people that you play all the time, you know their game. You know what they're going to do. You're not playing her. I have never played her before. So, I mean, it was definitely a different experience. Q. Do you have anyone in particular you measure yourself against? Talked to Yulia Putintseva and she said she was tracking where she was at her age versus other players who were at her age. Do you ever do anything like that? MADISON KEYS: Not really. I just try to just be happy where I am, you know, what I can do better to get higher maybe. But I don't really, you know, compare myself to anyone else, because I mean, it's me, so... Q. Do you see yourself part of sort of this young American movement coming up, McHale, Stephens? Do you sort of see yourself in that group or do you see yourself on your own? MADISON KEYS: No, I definitely think‑‑ I mean, I like that people think that I'm a rising American. I really just try to not think about that and just more think what I need to do to be happy with how I'm playing right now. You know, once I turn 18 I can play an unlimited schedule. So I'll have a lot more opportunities to play are more tournaments, you know, and just get a lot more matches. So, I mean, hopefully. It would be nice. I mean, Christina and Sloane are doing amazingly right now. I mean, if I can in two years be where they are, then I think I'm doing a pretty good job. Q. How do you balance out regular life to your tennis? How do you find a balance? MADISON KEYS: I don't. (Smiling.) I mean, I'm still doing high school online which is loads of fun. Yeah. Then I have two little sisters that live with me. I have an older sister who lives in Chicago, and she just came down to visit in Boca. I mean, my friends are great. They understand my life is crazy. I mean, I know one of my friends just texted me and he said, When are you coming back to Boca? I was like, Tomorrow. You want to hang out? Sure. Since it's the only day I'm going to be there. But, yeah, I mean, weekends and stuff, if I'm at home, you know, if I can just go to the beach with my family for a while or hang out with a friend, I mean, that's pretty much what I will try to do. A lot of times it doesn't happen, but I mean, just those times where you actually get to hang out with your friends and see your friends just makes it that much better. Q. When you're hanging out with your friends or family, is it like tennis off, no talk about... MADISON KEYS: Yeah, we don't talk about tennis at all. Q. You had a chance to play one of the big days at the, US Open last year and you won a round. What was that experience like and how will that help you this time, you think? MADISON KEYS: I mean, that was incredible. I played my first round on Grand Slam and then played my second round on Armstrong. For me, I think the stands were pretty much full, and it was great to have everyone behind me and it was an amazing experience. It's really helped me when I'm in other bigger systems, you know, kind of just being able to kind of zone out the rest of the crowd and just focus on my match. I mean, I would love for it to happen again. I mean, it just ‑‑it was a great experience, and I can't wait for another one to come along. Q. If you could change any one thing about the US Open, what would that be? MADISON KEYS: The traffic from Manhattan to the site is insane. So if you have an 11:00 match, okay, you warm up at 9:00. You just have to leave at 6:30 to get there on time. (Laughter.) Q.Do you even worry about your ranking until you get to be on full time on the tour, or is it all just part of the process of getting better until that point? MADISON KEYS: I think it's kind of just part of the process. I mean, obviously your ranking helps you get into higher tournaments and all that, but I try not to really think about it. I mean, it doesn't really define how you're doing. I mean, I think if I can go into tournaments and feel happy with what I did coming out of each tournament, I don't really think it matters what my ranking is. Q. What's your schedule then from now forward? MADISON KEYS: I'm going to the US Open, playing quallies, and then after that I think I might be going to Asia. Then after that I have no idea. Q. So you won't play New Haven? MADISON KEYS: This is it until US Open. Q. You don't think you're getting a main draw wildcard? MADISON KEYS: No, probably not. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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