Madison Keys battled back from a set down to defeat fellow American Caty McNally at the Canadian Open, securing her place in the fourth round. The final score: 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. Keys now faces Karolina Muchova in what promises to be a thrilling match in Montreal.
The Australian Open champion is looking to regain her momentum after a disappointing grass court season, culminating in a third-round exit at Wimbledon. This victory marks a positive step in that direction.
Keys Praises McNally's Performance
Following her hard-fought win, Keys shared her thoughts on McNally's performance. "I don’t think I would say that she did anything that surprised me," Keys commented. "I think she’s a really good tennis player. I think she’s a very good all-court player as well."
Keys acknowledged McNally's strategic play, anticipating her opponent's tactics. "So I was expecting her to come in and slice and try to change up the pace. I just think that she played really well, and it’s good to see that she’s finding her level again after being injured."
She also recognized the confidence McNally has gained from recent victories. "She’s also won a ton of matches the last couple of weeks, and I feel like no matter what level you’re doing that at, you’re just building your own confidence. I think that really helps in matches like this."
Keys on Raising Her Game
Keys admitted she needed to elevate her own performance to secure the win. "I think I just had to kind of raise my level. Was going for a little bit too much too soon in the first set. But yeah, I was impressed with her, and I felt like I had to raise my level in order to get the win."
Keys' Physical Endurance a Key to Success
Looking ahead, Keys emphasized the importance of her physical health. "I’ve definitely played a lot of tennis. It’s probably the most tennis I’ve ever played in my career, and I think the biggest thing is that I’m just really happy that my body is holding up the way that it has been."
She added, "Obviously, injuries have always been something that kind of hampered me season to season. So that was a really big goal of mine is to just try to bulletproof my body as much as possible."