Madison Keys notched her 14th consecutive win on Monday, though needed to put a second set that slipped away in the rear-view mirror at the BNP Paribas Open.
Taking on Elise Mertens, a competitor who’s proven capable of mounting comebacks throughout her career, Keys saw a set and 3-0 lead—and a total of four match points go to waste—before finding herself tied on the scoreboard.
The Australian Open champion regrouped to advance, 6-2, 6-7 (8), 6-4, and spoke about the challenge of managing her own expectations now that she’s a certified major title holder.
“I don’t think I played my best level, and I think that was more frustrating just because I’m starting to expect a little bit more of myself. So just trying to navigate that,” Keys told press.
