Tennis-Keys feeling rejuvenated and raring to go after Australian summer

By Sudipto Ganguly

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – American Madison Keys couldn’t muster a lot of a problem towards world primary Ash Barty within the Australian Open semi-finals on Thursday however the 2017 U.S. Open finalist will go away Melbourne enthusiastic about what lies forward.

The previous world quantity seven gained solely 11 matches final yr throughout a season when her rating slipped out of the top-50 and the 26-year-old stated her efficiency made her sink right into a “darkish pit of despair”.

Keys, who beforehand made the semi-finals at Melbourne Park as a 19-year-old in 2015, has bounced again extremely in 2022 and has already gained 11 matches, together with an Australian Open tune-up occasion in Adelaide.

Keys stated she has learnt from her Australian journey this yr that having fun with herself on a tennis court docket was vitally necessary.

“I’ve to determine methods to not put all of that strain on myself in order that I can get pleasure from tennis, as a result of after I can get pleasure from tennis I’m able to enjoying at a a lot larger degree than what was occurring final yr,” she instructed reporters following her 6-1 6-3 defeat by Barty.

“The most important factor for the following a part of the yr is … I’m going to knock on some wooden … bodily I really feel actually good after enjoying lots of matches.

“Mentally I nonetheless am combating to get again to the extent that I used to be clearly on the tennis court docket ranking-wise, however mentally I really feel like I’m in a extremely good place and feeling recent. The excellent news of getting a extremely shitty yr earlier than is you don’t have many factors to defend.”

Attending to play so many matches initially of the season will likely be “actually useful”, feels the American.

Keys stated she had a sport plan to counter Barty’s near-perfect sport however she was not in a position to execute it towards the two-time main winner on the floodlit Rod Laver Enviornment.

“It’s robust. It sucks,” she stated with a smile. “I imply, she’s simply enjoying extremely properly. You have got a sport plan in your head, however she’s simply executing all the pieces so properly.

“She’s enjoying some actually, actually good tennis however she’s additionally so locked in and targeted. I’ve performed her a handful of occasions, and that is simply the most effective she’s ever been enjoying.”

(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly; modifying by Pritha Sarkar)