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World Ranked # 16, American" Madison Keys " at 2017 US Open Player Media Availibility Press Conference !
NEW YORK(SMI-WIRE,08.26-09.10.17)The USTA held its annual US Open player media availibility today, inviting credentialed US & International press members from broadcast and media outlets to participate in a press conference with World Ranked men's & women's tennis professional players that will compete in the 2017 US Open Tennis Championship starting on August 28, 2017 at Flushing Meadow Park Queens New York.
Top players from Karolina Pliskova (Czech, world ranked# 1 ), Rafael Nadal(Spaniard, world ranked # 1), Simona Halep (Romanian, world ranked #2), Roger Fereder (Swiss world ranked #3), Garbine Muguruza( Spaniard-Venezuelan world ranked #3 ), Angelique Kerber (German, world ranked #6 ), Alexander Zverev (German, world ranked #6), Madison Keys (American, world ranked # 16), Andy Murray (British, world ranked # 2), and Caroline Wozniacki( Danish, world ranked #5 ), participated in the player media availibility event with the press
iMadison Keys is an American professional tennis player. She has won three WTA Premier tournaments, and is the first American woman to debut in the Top 10 since Serena Williams in 1999, seventeen years earlier. As of July 2017, she was ranked world no. 16 in singles and was the third-highest ranked American player overall behind Venus and Serena Williams.
She is one of the youngest tennis players to win a match on the WTA Tour, at the age of 14 years and 48 days, by beating world No. 81 Alla Kudryavtseva at the 2009 MPS Group Championships. Keys plays right-handed, has powerful groundstrokes and dominant serves over 100 mph. Her service action is rare for the women's tour, opting for a platform style rather than the predominant pinpoint style service motion. Due to the height of her ball toss she, at times, faces inconsistency on serve. She is primarily an offensive baseline player and her game is built around taking control of rallies with powerful serves, returns of serve and forceful groundstrokes off both forehand and backhand wings. She is equipped with capable volleying skills and overheads. The 2014 season has seen a great improvement in Keys' mobility around the court and she has now an effective defensive game, being capable of turning defensive play in to offensive play.
Starlight Media Illustrated attended the player-media availibility event at the US Open and this is what Rafael Nadal said during the Q & A from the press:
Q. Would you say this is the first major tournament in a while where you feel close to your best again? If so, how does that feel?
MADISON KEYS: This is for sure the first Grand Slam I have come in and felt really good and healthy and ready to play. I'm really excited. Just looking forward to having a good first round for now.
Q. What do you take out of that, the match against Garbiñe in Cincinnati being close? Is that a positive match in your mind? Negative match? She went on to win.
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, she went on to win the tournament and be No. 1 in the world, so it's not a bad person to lose to, but obviously I wasn't super happy with how it ended, but I think there were lots of positives there. At the end of the day, it gave me enough time to kind of have days off and all that. Definitely took a lot of positives from that.
Hopefully in that situation it doesn't happen that way again.
Q. Given that eight women come into this tournament with the ability to walk out No. 1, and any other number players are so close to the top, what does it say about the opportunity that's in front of you and others here?
MADISON KEYS: I think right now is a really good time for women's tennis. I think there is a lot of depth. I truly believe that, you know, anyone who is playing well could beat anyone the next two weeks.
So I think it's really interesting, great time for women's tennis
Q. Serena is having a baby, and you are one of the top-ranking Americans in the tournament. Is there any special pressure that's on you, since Serena is not in the tournament and you have a very good ranking, to perform well? What are your thoughts about the landscape changing with her not here?
MADISON KEYS: I don't think Serena being gone it's like immediately, like, Madison, you're our only hope.
I'm focused on myself, and, you know, I'm not really concerned that I'm wherever I am in the women. I think there is a lot of great American women playing at the moment, and I think there is lots of opportunities.So I'm more focused on that.
Q. I remember at Wimbledon you talked about the disagreement you and your agent had about whether you should play because of your physical condition at that time. What did you prove to yourself at Wimbledon? And if you can carry the story forward to now where you say you're feeling the best you have at a major.
MADISON KEYS: I didn't really prove anything to myself. I think playing for two-plus years hurt, you know, showed me more about myself more than just playing Wimbledon.
But I'm just really excited that I'm healthy, and I'm going into a tournament feeling really good, and finally have had the time to prepare.
Q. How would you describe that road, though, from being at the low point to where you are now?
MADISON KEYS: It hasn't always been fun, but I think I have learned a lot and grown a lot through the experience, so yeah, I'm just really happy that I feel like I'm on a really good path right now.
Q. You were talking about getting the days' rest before this tournament. How is the arm feeling just in terms of the strength and things like that? How important was that time off? Does it feel 100%? Is it as good as it's going to be right now, I guess?
MADISON KEYS: I guess it's as good as it's going to be. It's tough trying to rehab while playing in a season, getting it back to 100% strength. It's just not really possible. So I think it's as good as it's going to be, and then offseason is going to be the time where I can really focus on it and strengthen it and not worry about being sore playing for matches or anything like that.
Q. What's your relationship with New York? Is it a city that you always have taken to? Does it take time? How do you feel about the city?
MADISON KEYS: I have always loved it. It's just taking some time to manage it and know, you know, what days to sleep in and come here to the site late, what days to wake up early and just get it done with.I think enjoying the city bits at a time and not all at once has been the key.