Madison Keys produced a good first performance on grass in 2016 to record a straight-sets win over Timea Babos on a rain-affected first day at the Aegon Classic in Birmingham. She said afterwards, ‘I was happy I was able to win, but I definitely have some things to work on.’

Keys started the match brilliantly, striking a succession of aces and unstoppable winners to open up a 3-0 lead in less than 10 minutes. She then carved out a break point opportunity to further extend her lead, only for Babos to dig deep and pull out three good serves to win her first game of the match.

This was the first of several ‘bad moments’ that the talented American felt she experienced during the match, and her Hungarian opponent seemed buoyed by her reprieve. She mounted a spirited response to Key’s early dominance, which ultimately saw her earn a break back in the ninth game courtesy of a double fault.

Three service holds later, and the first set was into an unlikely tie-break. Babos raced into a 3-0 lead in the breaker, only for Keys to storm back and win seven points in a row to take the set. When she was asked how she did it, the American said, ‘I think I got a read on a return, which was a big point. And I think I served well on a couple points here and there. But really I just started putting the ball in play more often.’

Who knows how long the match might have gone on if Keys had lost that opening set, particularly after she dominated the opening exchanges? Thankfully for her sake, she got it done in the end and then negotiated a tight second set to seal a 7-6 6-4 win.

Next up for the American will be the winner of the match between qualifier Tamira Paszek, who won Eastbourne in 2012, and British wild card Tara Moore, who reached the quarterfinals of the Nottingham Open last week. Keys will doubtless be hoping for an improved performance and, preferably, no interruptions due to rain.

However, it certainly sounds like Keys makes the most of such interruptions, as she explained in her press conference. Keys said, ‘On the second day of rain delays in Paris, we stayed on site. I slept, ate two or three lunches, and played some cards. We played President mostly and Speed.’ And apparently the American is just as competitive at cards as she is at tennis. She joked: ‘Fingers get close to being broken possibly. I think being competitive carries over.’

And we may see plenty more of Keys’ competitiveness in Birmingham if she can get through her next match, since she believes it takes two or three matches to get into a rhythm on grass. She also said, ‘Grass is one of those surfaces where when you're playing well, you play really well and it goes quickly. But when you're playing badly, it amplifies everything. I think it's important when you're playing well to stay focused and not get ahead of yourself, and when you're playing badly, slow things down and take a second and try to reassess.’

Keys definitely has high hopes for the grass-court season. She said, ‘I would love to walk away with a trophy or two. But the biggest thing is really focusing on the consistency.’ The American is well-placed to achieve either of these ambitions, since she is injury-free, in good form, and looking confident and assured on court. Great results on grass could be just around the corner.