“It’s like my favorite ball!” Madison Keys takes a cheeky dig about Iga Swiatek disliking the ‘USO series’ balls after beating her in Cincinnati


“It’s like my favorite ball!” Madison Keys takes a cheeky dig about Iga Swiatek disliking the ‘USO series’ balls after beating her in Cincinnati

Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek

Former champion Madison Keys stunned the World No.1, Iga Swiatek in the Round of 16 in Cincinnati in straight sets 6-3,6-4 to enter the quarterfinals in Ohio once again. Keys was the underdog going into the match given Swiatek’s form and the bashing she gave Keys the last time they met.

But Keys came out with a definite plan and executed it to perfection. She was over the ball right from the word go and took charge of rallies from the baseline. She was hitting the ball flat and generated a lot of pace with minimal topspin, which is totally opposite of what Swiatek does and likes.

Before the match, Swiatek complained about the lighter balls used during the US hard court swing and how she doesn’t like the. During the US hard court swing including the US Open, lighter balls are used as compared to the rest of the tour. Keeping it simple, the players like Swiatek, who like to hit with a lot of topspin and like slow courts, prefer heavier ball while those who hit the ball flat out with a lot of pace, like lighter balls as it travels faster in the air.

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Madison Keys doesn’t second Iga Swiatek’s point of view

Iga Swiatek vs Madison Keys
Iga Swiatek and Madison Keys

After beating Swiatek, Keys spoke about this matter in the press conference and straight away said that the balls which are currently used are her favorite and she practices with them.

“It’s like my favorite ball (smiling). I mean, it’s what we practice with all of the time. The US Open Regular Duty is my favorite ball,” Keys said.

She reasoned that the balls are pretty fast and right so, suit her game. But she also added that she completely understands why Swiatek doesn’t like them.

“It starts pretty fast, and I think it’s one of those balls that actually stays pretty consistent throughout until the ball change. They actually, in my opinion, most of the time they actually get a little bit smaller. They don’t get as fluffy, so they never really slow down, which is great for me and in my opinion, but, I mean, I can see why she doesn’t like these,” she added.

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