Madison Keys focuses on third round after beating Zhu Lin
By snatching 11 of the last 12 games of her match against Zhu Lin, Madison Keys has taken a step forward towards the title of her home Grand Slam event. After the brief 3-1 lead moment with which her Chinese opponent opened the clash, the tenth seed took the wheel to conclude her second-round journey with a powerful 6-4 6-1.
The 24-year-old met the press affirming that she was “really happy” with her nightly performance. “I maybe started a little bit slow,” Keys said. “I think some of that was just getting used to her and how she was playing. But I feel like after I got broken in the first set, I feel like I played some really good tennis.”
Grateful for the much praised atmosphere at Flushing Meadows, the fresh Cincinnati champion attributed some of her success to the public, “It's always a big factor [to play at home]. There's been matches where I've been pretty much down and out, and the crowd has stayed behind me, gotten me back into the match, help support me through the entirety of the match. I mean, the crowd is always amazing. Being able to use them, have them behind you all the time, is really, really great.”
The American’s mind is now fully set on the match she will have to play on Friday, which will oppose her either to Sofia Kenin or Laura Siegemund. When asked how she would compare her actual evolution with her 2017 run, Keys answered, “Honestly, I'm just worried about my next round. That's really all I can focus on right this second.”
Before her next adversary was defined, the former World No. 7 gave her opinion on both her possible third-round tests. “I think they're very similar in some ways,” Keys said. “I think [Kenin] has been having a really great year, year and a half even. She is just really crafty. She knows how to take time away but knows when to take pace off and all that. She's just a really, really smart player. I think Kenin maybe has a bit more firepower to her game. Same thing, Laura is super crafty, knows how to absorb pace really well, take time away. She's really good with her hands. No matter who wins, it's going to be a difficult match.”
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/30IdeFW
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