Keys Repeats as AO Wildcard Winner

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Keys Repeats as AO Wildcard Winner

By Erik Gudris

(December 16, 2012) -- Madison Keys overcame early nerves and a determined opponent to repeat as winner of the Australian Open Wildcard Playoffs.

Facing Georgia local Mallory Burdette, Keys found herself in a tight first set battle as she went down an early break. Burdette herself couldn't hold on to her advantage or her serve as Keys broke back for 3-all.

Engaging in hard hitting rallies, both women looked poised to enter a tiebreak. But at 5-all, a more relaxed Keys found her big serve again and won seven of the last eight points to take the set 7-5.

Keys fought off a break point early in the second set by hitting back to back aces and soon broke Burdette for 2-0. Though Burdette broke back for 1-2 thanks to a double fault from Keys, the Georgia native was unable to put enough pressure on Keys's serve late in the match.

Keys herself stepped up her own return game to break Burdette for a 5-3 lead. Keys struggled to serve out the match, but a final smash on her second match point gave her a 7-5, 6-3 victory.

It's the second year in a row that Keys has won the AO Wildcard Playoffs event that earns her a wildcard berth into the main draw of Melbourne taking place next month.

"I was really kind of anxious and nervous and over thinking things a bit too much," said Keys about the back and forth first set. "But when I took a second to calm down and think for a second and relax a bit, then my serve started working better and that got me going after that."

Keys will travel to Auckland first to begin her 2013 season before she competes at the Australian Open.

During the trophy ceremony, Keys acknowledged that she plans to improve her ranking enough next year so that she won't need a wildcard into Melbourne for 2014. But she admits the courts in Norcross are definitely suited to her game.

"I kind of like these courts a little bit, Keys said with a laugh. "I play really well here and I'm pretty happy with the results the last two years."

(Photo Credit: Tennis Now/Gudris)