"This is my one of the favourite tournaments; I love playing in the heat, I live in Florida and it feels cold here" - Madison Keys on her love for Cincinnati and the Western & Southern Open
Following her stunning quarterfinal triumph in the Western & Southern Open, Madison Keys expressed her appreciation for the weather conditions in Ohio and called the tournament one of her favorites.
Keys is having a fairytale run at the hardcourt tournament. She started her campaign by defeating Yulia Putinsteva and Jelena Ostapenko in the first and second rounds, respectively.
The American then scored her biggest win of the tournament by defeating two-time Grand Slam champion and No. 1 seed Iga Swiatek in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. This was followed by another significant straight-sets win in the quarterfinals, this time over 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, 6-2, 6-4.
@Madison_Keys reaches her first WTA 1000 semifinal since her Cincinnati title run in 2019!What a πππ β¨
πΊπΈ @Madison_Keys reaches her first WTA 1000 semifinal since her Cincinnati title run in 2019!
#CincyTennis https://t.co/KCI2eGQ1e8
Following the quarterfinal win, Key expressed her admiration for the atmosphere in Ohio in an interview with Tennis Channel. She said that the Cincinnati event has been one of her favorite tournaments since she was a child.
"I always tell people like this is my one of the favourite tournaments of the year," Keys said, adding, "The facility is great, the fans are amazing. I love the courts, I love playing in the heat, it's great. I live in Florida, it feels cold here."
The World No. 24 considers herself lucky to have gotten some notable wins under her belt on the courts of the hardcourt tournament.
"I just always have really enjoyed coming here and playing. I think I played my first one when I was 17 or 18 so I just have really grown up loving these courts and luckily I have got some good wins on them, " Keys said.
"That first game was really important, it got me off to a really good start" - Madison Keys on her Cincinnati quarterfinal defeat of Elena Rybakina
When asked what worked well for her in the match against Elena Rybakina, Madison Keys acknowledged that the opening set was crucial in getting her off to a solid start.
"I think that first game that felt like it took 15 minutes, was really important and it was able to got me off to a really good start. After that, I just tried to stay out in front as best as I could," Keys said.
The 27-year-old said she learned during the match that it was critical to try to break back immediately.
"After getting broken in the second set, I knew it was really important to try to break back immediately and try to get back ahead because she is such a great player and when she starts dictating and hitting and getting in control of a match, things can get away from you really quickly," she stated.
Her main strategy was to get her opponent moving so that she could not strike a winner against her.
"I just knew that her first serve is so good and when I do get the opportunity to see a second serve, it is so important to try to get ahead in the point as quickly as I can," Keys said, adding, "So, I was really just trying to, from the moment I could, look for her forehand, try to get at least a step towards the baseline and just try to get her moving before she could hit a winner against me.
Madison Keys will now lock horns with two-time Grand Slam winner Petra Kvitova in the semifinals.