2002
Home Depot Championships
Venus Williams Semi-Final Interview
2002 HOME DEPOT CHAMPIONSHIPS
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
November 10, 2002
VENUS WILLIAMS
Lost to Kim Clijsters, 5-0, Retired
Q. Can you go through what happened, how it happened?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Basically, I twisted my ankle during the match against Monica. At that point, I just twisted it and I kept going. There was no problem. I didn't really feel the affects until last night as I was sitting in bed and I realized my leg was hurting.
Q. Did it affect your calf as well?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It's not really the ankle. It's the calf muscle that it happened.
Q. Do you remember when you did it against Monica?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't remember when I did.
Q. Did you hit yesterday?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.
Q. And you felt all right?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I felt fine. I felt fine. I had a really light practice yesterday, because I was tired from the match, and I hit, like, at 9:00. I got home at 12:00. I didn't move a lot, but a lot of times you twist your ankle and it doesn't show up until later.
Q. You said it's not really the ankle or the calf muscle. Which is it? Is it both?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Not a tendon.
Q. Is it the calf or the ankle?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Calf.
Q. Strained muscle in the calf?
VENUS WILIAMS: Yes.
Q. Venus, what was your mindset coming into today? Did you think you were going out and going to try it?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. A lot of times when you have an injury, with the adrenaline and other things, you start not to feel it in the match. I figured maybe I would have that opportunity, but I wasn't really able to move or get on my toes or change directions effectively. There's also a certain amount of fear that, of course, the pain you have already, and then the more pain that you can get if you go too far.
Q. What did the trainer do when she came over?
VENUS WILLIAMS: We just discussed a little bit my options as far as if I could tape it further. I already had it taped to the max. I didn't know how much more I could do. Things were already going pretty bad. I don't know how much worse they could have gotten. I was hopefully trying to get a point off of hitting a good serve, trying to end the points quickly.
Q. How disappointed are you that you don't have a chance to reach the finals and play Serena?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I was a lot more disappointed than what I thought I would be. Before I came out, I realized I was having pain just walking. When I was walking off the court, I started to get a little emotional. I didn't think I was going to be that upset. I'm better, but I'll take it one day at a time and talk about it to whoever will listen.
Q. Was it getting progressively worse or was it the same from the start?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Actually, I got worse after the practice this morning.
Q. (Inaudible.)
VENUS WILLIAMS: I just wanted to try to see what I could do, basically. Of course, this is a championship I've never won or even been in the finals here. That would have been nice, but for me, it's just mostly my health, and I don't really like to play in pain. My dad never encouraged it, and I'm really not accustomed to it.
Q. Did you talk to your dad after the match, and if so, what did he say?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes, he said it's just a match. I didn't tell him about my injury before.
Q. Was he upset that you hadn't told him?
VENUS WILLIAMS: He didn't realize it, because on the practice court, I didn't move a lot and stayed in one position and that kind of thing. I don't always tell him about injuries, unless it's something that I just have to. I don't want to make him nervous or anything.
Q. Do you think he might overreact over your injuries?
VENUS WILLIAMS: He would say, don't go out there hurting, it's just a match. You are smart, you can do whatever you want.
Q. Maybe he would have told you not to go out?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.
Q. If your dad tells you that, why did you go out there?
VENUS WILLIAMS: He didn't tell me that.
Q. How hard is it to get to the end of the season injury-free?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think I was pretty much injury-free until the other night, and I was okay. Of course you have aches and pains, but this is normal when you're pushing your body to the limit all year. I think I was okay this year. Last year, not really. The year before -- I have had some tough end-of-the year injuries, but this year was all set up until now.
Q. How has Serena done it, you think, this year?
VENUS WILLIAMS: How has she done?
Q. How has she done it?
VENUS WILLIAMS: She did twist her ankle too in the beginning of the year, and you have to consider she did play 12 tournaments only, but out of those she won 8 and a finals appearance every time. That is quite a schedule.
Q. Venus, a tough question, did you think at all during this process before the match or during the match of what happened at Indian Wells when you didn't go out there?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I'll never forget that, that's for sure.
Q. Why?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Because just it was a pretty intense moment to go through, and not many people have to go through those kinds of things in their lives.
Q. I was asking whether that today in practice and on the match, did that go through your mind at all?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Not really, because it's enough to have to go out and play a semifinal match and be serious and ready and not to be nervous, but to go out knowing you have a strike against you and you have an injury, it makes you more nervous than usual, because you're concentrating on tennis and also on your injury also, so it's two different things to deal with instead of just one.
Q. The change over, 2-love, did you think about quitting?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, but I gave it one more try.
Q. One of the people on television, Venus, said you never retired during a match.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.
Q. Can you think of any other times you have?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I did once, actually the same injury, but that was in '95, and I was hardly on tour. I was just back then playing intermittently. I was pretty much in high school. I was 15.
Q. Where was that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: That was Amelia Island. It was worse than this. My whole calf just exploded. I didn't understand anything about injuries.
Q. Has a doctor actually looked at your calf?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.
Q. And any advice or any warnings?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Just to rest, you know, do therapy and the whole nine-yards as usual.
Q. Jennifer is pretty close to winning the first set.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Is she?
Q. Yeah. Before the tournament, could you have imagined a final without either you or your sister?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Under ideal circumstances, it would be nice for Serena and I to both be in the finals, but you know, if I was out there, I would play different, but obviously, I won't be out there at all, but you know, I just don't feel like watching a match. I'm on an emotional train and I'm tired and I have been through a lot today. I hope she wins, but I can't watch it.
Q. How hard is it, in general, to get up for the tournaments after the Open?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I actually love the European tour after. It's just that I have been always busy. I have had school and am working on various projects.
Q. What was the last tournament you played in before this tournament?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I believe I played in Moscow, but it didn't last long.
Q. You said you were very tired there, though.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I was, I was tired. I really felt motivated to come here, though.
Q. Venus, you've done well in the majors and a lot of people call this the fifth major. Yet, I think several times you have had to withdrawal before things got going because of these injuries. Is it just where this tournament falls in the season or do you have bad karma?
VENUS WILLIAMS: In the beginning, I didn't take very good care of myself. That was basically what happened when I did start to qualify for the championships, by the time the end of year came, I was finished. Now things are better. If I do have an injury, it's really from just kind of chronic overuse, whereas I'm just tired of playing with the pain.
Q. You still didn't respond. If someone had come up to you before the championships and said that neither you and Serena would make the finals, what would your response be to them?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It could happen. Anything can happen.
Q. After you get back home, do you have more classes going?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm not in school this year. Not in the classroom actually. I was tired. I didn't want to be a college student anymore. Eventually, I would like to finish, but not this year.
Q. What do you have planned for the rest of the year?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I'm supposed to play an exhibition and I should recover for that just to be able to at least put on a good show.
Q. When is the exhibition scheduled?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I have one in Dublin and maybe in Copenhagen.
Q. December?
VENUS WILLIAMS: December 2nd and 3rd. I don't remember exactly. I should find out.
Q. Do you think you'll keep those dates?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I would like to. You know, if I sit down and rest and relax and get a few days' practice, I think I'll be okay.
Q. Have you ever been to either place?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, that's what makes it exciting.
Q. Venus, how frustrating is it to play with an injury? When you're out there and you feel like you really can't move, is that frustrating?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Sure, because that's one of my strengths, is my movement and I threaten people by getting to every ball, so it is disappointing when I can't move and when I couldn't change directions, sure. Also, it's sometimes hard to make a decision to move on because you always look back and say, well, this could have been, but whether or not you're telling yourself the truth is another story.
Q. Do you feel like you will have enough time to rest and get motivated for the start of next year, and is that hard to imagine right now, getting fresh again?
VENUS WILLIAMS: To me it's important. I think I'll be fresh and motivated to play. And definitely take my breaks. It's the kind of person I am. I suppose every person needs a rest.
End of FastScripts….
VENUS WILLIAMS Defeated Monica Seles, 7-5, 6-4
11/8
Q. What do you think of the quality of this match? Was it high?
VENUS WILLIAMS: The quality?
Q. Yeah.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think there was some great points, for sure, and then, you know, there was some unforced errors, also. I think it was quite a long game and good serves at very important times. It made the game exciting. We were going back and forth a lot.
Q. Do you think Monica is still dangerous? Somebody said she's almost finishing her career.
VENUS WILLIAMS: She's definitely not almost finished. Tonight she showed everyone that she's very much a force to be reckoned with and extremely serious about her game.
Q. What do you think made the difference tonight?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I didn't want to lose.
Q. Just willpower?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. I'm just really so used to winning, that, I don't know, maybe I just thought I could win. I don't really know. It was definitely a great match, and I was trying to hold the serve, especially.
She broke me when I was up 4 3 in the second. She just did a lot of great shots. You know, I did make a mistake to get broken, but she hit a lot of good shots to set herself up. I really wanted to serve well and hold my serve. That's the name of the game.
Q. You said on television that Monica was your favorite player growing up and you talk about not wanting to lose. That was a quality that she really had when she was No. 1. I assume that's something you remember from watching her?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Sure, I remember all those matches in the French Open when she was down 6 love and the tie breaker with Steffi and, of course, when she played Capriati. I remember all those things. She's my favorite player. Of course, when we play now, I'm rooting for me.
Q. Did you start grunting because of Monica?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I started grunting because of Monica. I never grunted before that, and now I can't stop. You know, I started doing things like her. She was revolutionary. She took the game to another level and makes everyone realize it.
Q. Who is the best grunter in the United States?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think definitely Monica. I don't actually hear when I'm playing. I don't really hear anything. I think she's definitely got a rhythm going. I can't keep up with her on that part sometimes, though.
Q. Do you practice your grunt much?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, not anymore. I think sometimes when I'm not grunting, I think my intensity is a little lower and maybe I'm not getting the best out of myself.
Q. Talking about revolutionaries, do you see yourself and Serena as the new revolutionaries?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Could be. It looks like. We'll see in a couple of years.
Q. When you come to Los Angeles, do you still go and like to see your old neighborhood? I mean, do you go? You don't care? Are you curious to see if it has changed or you don't even think about it?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Things rarely change in life, normally. At a young age, I'm preaching, but not really. There's not so much to do.
Q. Have you been there again?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Sure, it's a good place.
Q. How are you and Serena revolutionaries?
VENUS WILLIAMS: How are we revolutionizing?
Q. No, how are you revolutionaries?
VENUS WILLIAMS: In which part of life are we talking about?
Q. Well, there is no real division in life. Just in what ways are you a revolutionary?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I like to think of myself as a forward thinker. I'm always planning for the future, especially my future, and I always have lots of activities going on in my life. I'm always planning things out and know exactly where I'm going and what I'm doing and that kind of thing and what I want.
Maybe in that way I'm a revolutionary off of the court, and on the court, I like to think I work hard enough to stand out from all the other players, and that pretty much sums it up.
Q. Did you have any pause, take any pause, before doing your endorsement with McDonalds? They have a fair number of critics on their business.
VENUS WILLIAMS: On their business, no way. I love McDonalds. Are you kidding? When I heard the news that they wanted to be affiliated with Serena and I, I was jumping for joy. I'm so happy to be where I am.
Q. Looking ahead in the draw, have you been watching Kim and how she's been playing, and what do you think of that matchup?
VENUS WILLIAMS: She's always a great player, very strong and definitely a lot more intense since she's been able to, I guess, recover from some injuries that she's had, and I suppose she's had some very good matches, because the players she played in order to get to the championship were quite good players. She played quite good, so she won easily. I suppose I'll have to step it up.
Q. Have you been practicing your net court winners or did you feel lucky tonight?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I have been thinking about that. Whenever I play Monica, she's the one that has those shots that hit the net and roll over, and I'm, you know, getting a little it was different tonight, because it was finally me that was getting those shots, and I felt very, very, very fortunate and blessed to get those.
Q. Monica hit back a couple of your first serves. One I think was 113 miles an hour and hit it back for a winner. Did that surprise you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, not really, because she's a good returner and it looked like today that she was really, really keen on getting the win, for sure. Especially considering the record's one sided, she was even more intense to come out there and take the match from me. I could see that.
Also, a lot of times the ball is hard and flat, and the player is right there, the shot goes for a winner. To me, if the shot can hit every time, she has to win the match. She wasn't able to hit the shot every time. It helped me out.
Q. Kim is one of the few players in the year, other than Serena, that really challenged you specifically. What is it about her game?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think she has a good combination in her game, good speed, good power and good consistency. I think she's really improved her attitude on the court. She tries hard, and other than that, she's just a really good player and really talented, so it's going to be a tougher match.
Q. How discouraging can it be for a player, even as experienced as Monica, to have you run down three or four shots that would probably be winners against anyone else, but as Monica said against anyone but you and Serena?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I guess it's hard. I'm never too often in this position, but I like to think when I'm playing, I can go to Plan B, to run everything down, or go to Plan C.
It definitely helps that I'm also tall and have good reach. It's because my mom said you're not growing up tall and lanky, so I didn't.
Q. If you could choose a place where you would like to go on vacation, where would you go?
VENUS WILLIAMS: My house, stay home, live comfortably, be in my bed.
Q. Abroad?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Vacation, could I say Italy?
Q. If you must.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes.
November 6
VENUS WILLIAMS
Defeated Patty Schnyder, 6-2, 7-6
Q. Venus, how would you rate your game?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, it was a little difficult out there, you know, because I haven't played a lot in the fall and just a little bit rusty, and really just trying to keep the ball in play and to play my regular game. It was just a good first round for me, a lot of balls. I would like to hit a lot better the next round. Toward the second set, she got a lot of confidence to think maybe she could win the set or try to win the match.
Q. Was it a question of you maybe losing a little focus or her just getting tougher?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I think I started making more errors. I was really trying to close it out, but it was just a little tough there.
Q. How do you feel about playing Seles in the next round?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Real good. She was able to win that match when the odds were against her, so if the odds are against me, I hope I can do the same thing she did.
Q. Venus, did you find your game at all tonight? Were there points where you were really pleased with the way you were playing?
VENUS WILLIAM: Sometimes, especially on my forehand, but I hit all backhands tonight, so I've got to go out and find what I was doing wrong and do my best. I did well when I was coming in. I would like to do a little more of that in the next match.
Q. Did you practice a lot the last couple of weeks?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Not especially. Not as much as I should have, but I did lots of other things and practiced a little bit, so I still feel pretty confident that I can do well in the tournament.
Q. It didn't look like you had much pressure but you were really relying on your own serve?
VENUS WILLIAMS: My first serve wasn't going good as much today, but my second serve was doing well. I think I was hitting my first serve a little too flat. It was always going long, going long. I need to bring it back in.
Q. Venus, did you watch a lot of the Monica and Lindsay match?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I watched the score.
Q. Are you surprised with Monica, at her age, the amount of time she's been on the tour?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. I'm surprised everyone keeps worrying her about it. It's annoying to me and I wonder how annoying it is to her.
Q. Because you feel she can still play at the top five or top ten?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Sure, she is doing that right now.
Q. Do you know when your commercial for McDonalds will come out?
VENUS WILLIAMS: In November. Actually, it's November now, so it should be coming out in a few weeks.
Q. Was that part of the post-match ritual, maybe a Happy Meal, some apple pies or something maybe beforehand, before play?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I eat more McDonald's in Europe, strangely. I don't know what the trend is.
Q. How is your fashion going now?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Fashion, well, I still design a lot for Wilson's Leather. I didn't go to school this fall. That's why you see me playing here. I'm close to finishing. I think I have 25 credits left, something like that, so it's not a lot.
Q. How do you feel about being back at your real home area playing?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, you know, I've got two homes. It's nice being here. I kind of get lost. I don't really know how to get around. I've got a lot of good memories, though. Good night.
US OPen
9/7
S. WILLIAMS/V. Williams
THE MODERATOR: First question for Venus, please.
Q. You never seemed to completely find your rhythm out there, especially after the first set. Second set, you seemed kind of to lose track of what was happening. Talk about the match a little.
VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, I did the best I could today. You know, I did make a lot of errors, it makes it tough to win the match. I think Serena was the best player in the whole tournament this year. I have to give it to her for that.
My game went down after the fourth round. I just couldn't do a thing to bring it back up. Before, in the first, second, and third rounds, I was playing great. But after that, I just couldn't do anything to bring it back.
Q. How much did it hurt you that you didn't serve as well as you did in the last couple matches, especially with your first serve?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think I served pretty well as far as, you know, first serves. I mean, I think she just returned really well.
Q. Was there a tactical decision to take a little bit off the first serve?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I thought it was quite heavy, you know. For most people, it's a pretty heavy serve.
Q. Could you talk about just the two weeks Serena had here. She didn't drop a set. She played terrific the whole time. Put this all in perspective?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I played here last year and didn't drop a set either, so I guess I know what it's like to be playing so well or at least better than everyone else.
Q. What is that confidence like? Breezing into a final, having not been challenged.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think it's great. I think she's had a great year. I think she's had a great schedule as far as having enough rest. You know, also the last couple of years haven't been her best years, so I think she was really rejuvenated and really motivated to come out here and to play well this year. She had a lot to play for.
Q. What do you have to do to beat her?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Just play better than her, basically.
Q. How do you accomplish that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Basically, play better than her.
Q. You said that Serena had a great year with her scheduling. Do you think perhaps you played too much coming into the US Open this time?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It's just that I -- sure, I would have liked to stay home and practice the week before, but, you know, I'm trying to play enough tournaments in the schedule to I guess make the tour happy. And then, you know, it's just been year after year for me, just playing and playing, always defending points. Sometimes it just gets -- it's just hard to play as well every year. I think I did play well, except there was always a better player standing in front of me.
Q. You said you played great the first three rounds. She said you played great through practice, much better than she in practice. Was there one defining moment where it started to turn that you can think of?
VENUS WILLIAMS: For me?
Q. Yeah.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Definitely in my fourth-round match. I couldn't do anything right. After that, I posed and pretended that I was doing well, but I don't think I was doing as well as I would have liked.
Q. In terms of Serena, I don't know if there was a similar turning point or just when she walked in the gate here, when did you realize just how on she was and what kind of tournament she was headed for this week or this past two weeks?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know, to be honest.
Q. Did she just have it from the start?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Did she what?
Q. That confidence, that game, kind of everything was -- I know you said for you it kind of fell a little bit after fourth round. Was there a time for her when it really stepped up, or did she have it all along?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I guess you have to ask her. I don't know.
Q. Are you able to see her as an opponent?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Sure, sure. I mean, when you go out there and someone's playing that well, they can't be anything else except an opponent normally.
Q. During the ceremony, she looked over at you. She came over and said something. What did she say?
VENUS WILLIAMS: You may have to ask her. I can't say.
Q. Is the level of your game the same as compared to the same time last year, or has Serena's game just improved so much compared to the same time last year?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think my level's about the same. I think mentally I'm not there as much. I think Serena's level is definitely more up than last year. I think what I could do is just -- I have to go home and just go home.
Q. You started attacking the net sort of late in the second set. It was working a little bit. Is that something you should have done from the outset?
VENUS WILLIAMS: There weren't really a lot of short balls, you know? I would have tried, but there weren't a lot of short balls.
Q. Was that one of the things you wanted to do going into the match? Was she just hitting too deep?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think I volleyed well. If I can get in there and make my shot, it's great. But I don't think I had as many opportunities to come in. And for sure, I like the baseline. It's pretty much the stable thing in my game.
Q. Do you know why you're not -- you say mentally you're not there as much. Do you know why you're not there as much?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Just tired. Basically.
Q. Too many matches?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know what it is. I just think I need to have a break, basically. I think I've done well as far as getting to the finals. Of course that's not an easy feat at all. But then Serena played always better than me.
Then also I've just -- it's a long story. I can't get into it.
Q. We got time.
VENUS WILLIAMS: It all started in 1962... (Smiling).
Q. Are you considering taking a break, six, eight months? Something like that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. Just two or three tournaments this fall and then just trying to enjoy a normal life. I've had a great year, more than any other person, besides Serena, could ask for I guess. That's been great. But I would like to just go home and practice and relax. I think it's gonna be a lot better because I'm not going to school this fall. I won't have that pressure on me either.
Q. Do these three losses to Serena discourage you, or do they charge you up, motivate you to want to go out...
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think losses always help you to work harder, for sure. Because you always learn more from your losses. When you win, your head's always in the clouds. At times it's tough to see the mistakes and to see where you might fall in the future.
But any loss is never a barrel of fun.
Q. Being a bit tired, are you enjoying your tennis as much as you were?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Not at this tournament, not as much as the rest. Not as much. You know, I just had to tune out everything, people just wear you to death, and talk so much. This and that. I just wanted to get away from the hype, you know.
Q. Is it the hype surrounding you or the hype surrounding Serena?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Just the hype surrounding everything.
Q. Do you feel like now, though, that there's a shift, that for all the attention you had for so long, now it's been shifted on to Serena? Is it just as much on you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think Serena likes the attention.
Q. More than you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I didn't like it so much. But I think she's more of a outgoing person maybe than what I am. I think everyone has their year, and this is her year, and next year could be her year also - I don't know. But I'm glad she's done well.
Q. One of the great things about tennis is there's always another tournament, another Grand Slam.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.
Q. Any thoughts in how you can improve your record at the Australian Open?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, that's the Slam I've never done as well at. I would love to play well there. I'm gonna start with preparing a lot earlier instead of like one week before (laughing). That would probably give me the upper hand.
Q. What's it like to serve to someone who returns as well as she does?
VENUS WILLIAMS: To be honest, normally I don't think anyone can return my serve that well, not even Serena. But it's just sometimes people are just in the zone for a tournament, months, for years. That's how it turns out.
Q. You think she's pretty much been in the zone since February?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. I just think she's been able to play well at the right times. Surely she hasn't been able to play her best every point, every match. But it's a sign of a champ when you can pull out the best times.
Q. Did you think of serving, running to the net maybe?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I thought of it, yes, indeed, I have.
Q. Why don't you do it more often?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't practice it. I can't do anything I don't practice. I need to start practicing that.
Q. How hard is it to lose to anybody three times in a row, never mind it being your sister?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I mean, it never really happens to me anymore - three times in a row. But I guess we're even now.
Q. Did you know where most of your family was sitting during the match?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Not really, no. I mean, I can't see so far.
Q. Two opponents were from the same family. I was wondering about that.
VENUS WILLIAMS: (Shaking her head no).
Q. I noticed you practiced this morning. What was the last thing your father said to you before you went on the court this morning?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. Nothing extremely important, so I guess that's why I don't remember.
Q. Do you think the two of you would be as good as you are, as each of you is, if you didn't have each other growing up, practicing against each other?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think we would be, yeah, because honestly, no matter what the next person does and no matter what the other result is, it's all about what you can do and how hard you can push yourself and how well -- whatever you can get out of yourself. No matter if Serena played well -- there's been other brothers and sisters who have been on the tour also, and they haven't done what we've done.
I think it's all about that we were dedicated and we had great people to work with us, and that we really believed in what we were doing. I think that, sure.
Q. Have you pushed yourself as hard as you can?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No (smiling). I'm not the hardest worker. I've tried, but I have to definitely get out there and give it a little go.
Q. You've talked in the past about as the older sister you have to be the protector. Do you still feel like that? Have you evolved away from that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Sure. Serena has a problem, then I definitely -- I take care of it. If she needs something taken care of, I'm the one. If I can't do it, my other sister does it. If she can't do it, we turn it over to our mom, so on and so forth.
Q. Any examples you'd like to share with us of you being the older sister?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I can't think of any examples without giving anything away. If she has a problem, she needs me to talk to someone, I'm more than ready to do it, and I enjoy it (laughing).
Q. Who protects you then?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I have older sisters. If I tell Serena, "Serena, I need to talk about something," then, well, we'll talk about it.
Q. Can you envision a situation where you would maybe -- where it would be beneficial for both of you to be less close?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Why?
Q. Pardon me?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Why?
Q. Perhaps if one of you thought you needed to, to be able to compete with the other at a certain stage.
VENUS WILLIAMS: No.
Q. Martina, on TV, made a point that she was disappointed yesterday that the crowd was for Amelie instead of you, being an American. There's so much about not wanting to see a Williams-Williams final. Do you still feel that backlash?
VENUS WILLIAMS: All I know is that I don't know. That's fine. I just don't know. I don't know anything as far as what the fans feel. I've never met anyone who's walked up to me and said, "I don't want to see a Williams-Williams final. Lose." I haven't met those people yet.
9/6
V. WILLIAMS/A. Mauresmo
6-3 5-7 6-4
THE MODERATOR: First question for Venus, please.
Q. Love-40 in the last game, you load up a 116, a 114, 122 or something like that. Are you just challenged there at that point? Did you feel the need to respond?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I just -- I suppose I just didn't want to let the game go. Things hadn't gone as well as I thought they would go the whole match, and I surely didn't want to have to get to 5-All. So it was nice to have a good service game when I was on the brink of losing it.
Q. The other day you said after the match with Chanda, "It was kind of nice to know you could get through with a win and not have your A game." Do you feel that way about the match today?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Definitely. I just... I just wasn't able to do everything I wanted to. I think also she played very well. She was trying to retrieve balls and really take the game to me. So I definitely played a really good opponent today.
Q. Did you feel good about your game?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I always feel good about my game. I have to. I have to be positive at all times because I'm my best cheerleader.
Q. Would you call that "just another routine Venus finish"?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I have no idea.
Q. Were you shooting for the ace?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah (smiling).
Q. At Love-40, what's going through your mind? Are you trying to relax, stay calm?
VENUS WILLIAMS: At that point I was really relaxed. I was never really nervous throughout the whole match, I just wasn't able to keep my errors down. I wasn't able to do everything I wanted to do in the court. I don't think I had the best practice going out to play the match, so I was a little distracted by that also.
Q. Do you have a blister on your hand?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.
Q. Did that occur during the match or was it something you had going in?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I think I noticed it before the match. But I guess it kind of reared its head during, so...
Just another challenge.
Q. How much of an impediment was it for you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, once I was able to get it wrapped, it was a lot better. After a while I started realizing that it was holding me back. I've never had , like, to have my hand wrapped or a blister on my hand before, ever. So it helped a lot.
Q. Does it affect your grip when you have tape on your hand?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I felt a lot better because it was protected and it wasn't -- the grip wasn't directly on the skin.
Q. When did it give you the most problem, with your forehand and your serve?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't remember anymore. Probably.
Q. How is it for tomorrow?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think okay. I suppose -- I hope I wouldn't let a blister hold me back from playing my best tennis. But sometimes the little things are the worst.
Q. When you look across the net tomorrow, whether it's Serena or Lindsay, will you see an opponent or will you see something different depending on who it is?
VENUS WILLIAMS: All in all, I'm really just here to try and take the title. After that, I can go home.
Q. At Love-40, is your method , "I'm just going to blast my way out of this"?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know, just...
Q. Three really good serves.
VENUS WILLIAMS: It was a great game. I think four great first serves from me to get to matchpoint. Finally a second. I think she just went for broke and didn't come up with it the last point.
Q. Is that an ability? I mean, Pete is known to be able to raise his serve at crunch time in an incredible way. Do you talk to yourself? Is that something you can practice in any way? Is it adrenaline? Can we learn it?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I have no idea. I just -- I was just very relaxed. They kept going in. I definitely felt that I was gonna go for it.
Q. When you're up in the first, you took the first set, now you break her and are up 3-2 in the second set, do you start to think about the finals at that point?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I lost my serve and I hit two double-faults. That was a point where I think I should have gotten my hand wrapped, but I kept going a few more games. But...
Q. You had played her four times before. Was this the best you played against her?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Was this the best she played against me?
Q. Yes.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Probably not. Probably not. I think it was tough to be in the semifinals and always play your best tennis, especially -- she's done it twice this year, which is a great result. But I feel like I'm a little more experienced and probably able to stay a lot more calmer in these situations, so that was probably tough for her.
Q. If you have to play your sister tomorrow, if you do, are you at the point now where you can put aside the sister stuff and get out there and play her like an opponent? I know it was hard earlier on. You seem to be working toward that point where you just battle.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Where's the problem? There's no problem.
Q. Before it was almost like it was too much love between you guys.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Too much love (laughter)?
Q. You said that you're just here to win the title. Does that mean you wouldn't mind facing Lindsay tomorrow?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I'd rather face Serena.
Q. Because...?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Because I want her to do her personal best.
Q. You talked about feeling calm. I was wondering, what do you think -- why do you think you're able to be calm and really come through with every big -- on every big point you need, you seem to come through with an answer. What do you think it is about you that enables you to do that when other people can't?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, you know, there was a time when I wasn't able to do that, when I was younger. And after a while, I was able to start getting those big points.
You know, the last few years, it's all kind of going my way most of the time. So maybe it's something that I expect it to go my way, but it doesn't always. Sometimes you have to work a little bit harder.
Hopefully, there's a little extra in there in the tank.
Q. You were talking earlier about being nervous. Are you always nervous during matches?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Was I nervous? I said I was nervous during the match?
Q. You're never nervous?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No.
Q. Was there ever a time when you were nervous during a match?
VENUS WILLIAMS: During, yeah, sure, sometimes. It's normal. But I try not to let it hold me back, try to still perform.
Q. If, in fact, two people from the same family reach a Grand Slam for the third straight time, the indications are that would be the case, what kind of commentary do you think it is on that family?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well... They were very good athletes, that family (laughing).
I suppose pretty good competitors. Which family is this (laughter)?
Q. Do you know them?
VENUS WILLIAMS: (Smiling).
Q. Do you feel the level of play has been high when you play Serena in the finals of these majors?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It depends on what you consider "high." Lots of people would love to play at the level we play at.
Q. To your standards.
VENUS WILLIAMS: To my standards, every time I've gone out there and done my best. Whether it was my best day, I can't say in every match. But I do go out there and perform to the best of my ability.
Q. After Wimbledon you were talking about how you wanted to firm up some areas of your game throughout the summer. Now you're going into the final. What's the state of your game? Are you pretty pleased with it.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I've been doing okay. It's just been a long season. I'm just holding on, more tournaments in the fall.
Q. Do you feel like you go into the final tomorrow night and the level that you want can come out?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think it's really just all in the mind. It's just all in the mind for me. It's not really about anything physical anymore. Mentally, I just have to be there.
Q. Did you have a specific game plan today, how to play Amelie? Was it unfolding? What was happening?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, really I just wanted to play aggressive, to play my normal game. I don't think I was really always able to do that.
Q. You and Serena have any plans tonight? What are you going to do? Go to dinner in the city?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I haven't even been to dinner these whole two weeks.
Q. Why is that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I just never felt like it.
Q. Room service kid, are you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I order, take-out.
Q. How is she playing, do you think? Have you watched her closely?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Serena, I think she's playing really well. To be honest, it's really easy to play well after you've won two Grand Slam titles and your confidence is at an all-time high. I've been there and I've done that before. You feel pretty much like you can do anything.
Q. At one point Serena said she felt she was playing for the younger sisters of the world. Do you think you're playing for the older sisters of the world?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No.
Q. Can you shake her confidence if her confidence is that high?
VENUS WILLIAMS: (Shrugging her shoulders. ) Not so interested in shaking her confidence. I think any time that I go out there and I'm worried about my opponent's game, I can't even play. I more or less have to focus on myself.
Q. You mentioned how different it is in terms of confidence going in after you won two Grand Slam titles. Looking forward to tomorrow, how different is it for you than say four years ago when you didn't have the credentials yet?
VENUS WILLIAMS: How is it different now?
Q. Yeah, I mean, psychologically. You've been on the big stage, in the finals of quite a few Grand Slams now.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, it's a lot better definitely having these Grand Slams behind my game.
But those were still fun times four years ago. I still look back and I can't remember having bad times.
Q. How important is it for you to regain the No. 1 ranking, which you'll do if you win tomorrow?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, it would be real nice. I've played really good for the last couple years and it seems like I can't get to that No. 1 ever - or just stay there. So it would be nice to definitely be on top.
Q. Do you like your game more or less than you did two or three years ago, and why?
VENUS WILLIAMS: If I play too much, I don't like tennis. I can't play a very busy schedule. I have to play just enough. And I have to play for me. As long as I don't play too much, I like it a lot.
Q. Have you played the right amount this year?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I've played a lot, to be honest, for me. I really gave extra effort to play more and to, you know, fulfill my obligations to the tour. But that's been really difficult for me. Really, everyone has different personalties and different points of how much they can play. I think I'm just at that lower threshold.
V. WILLIAMS/M. Seles
9/4/02
THE MODERATOR: First question for Venus, please.
Q. Your serve, Monica said she had a tremendous amount of problems dealing with that. Is there something that you altered from the match against Chanda specifically regarding your serve?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think my first serve percentage is just higher, and I was able to get a lot of good pace on the first serve. Even on the second, I was able to get a lot of kick. So it was bouncing high. I think when she tried to attack it, it wasn't -- the ball didn't bounce exactly where she thought it was going to.
Q. Do have you had a cold?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Maybe.
Q. Maybe?
VENUS WILLIAMS: This is my voice. That's how it is (laughter).
Q. Feel like singing a song?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, any time. Just, you know, after 9:00, I really don't sing.
Q. Did you hear Aretha Franklin is going to be singing for the women's final?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I haven't. I'd like to be there to see it, that's for sure.
Q. Ten years ago somebody tells you that you're going to be up here, routinely crushing a player of Monica Seles' caliber. What would you have thought?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't think I would have exactly -- I should have believed I would be here. But as far as playing as well as I did today against someone like Monica, I'm not sure that I would have thought that.
But it's really satisfying to know that I've been able to work hard to be able to get to this level where I can play this well against a player like her.
Q. When you look forward to playing Mauresmo - you've beaten her four times, the last four times you've met - how do you get yourself psychologically ready for a match like that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm ready already. The past is behind me. All I can do is play better. All the wins I've had and nice times so far hopefully will go into the semifinal match.
Q. What do you see in Mauresmo's game? Do you think she's at that stage that she might penetrate the elite to join the group that's just below you and Serena?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm really not sure what her career will be. I know what mine can be, and that's more or less what I focus on. I suppose she has all the potential in the world to do exactly what she wants.
That's the best part about tennis, is that you make your own destiny. Whether she gets there or not I suppose is up to her. But I'm just focusing on me.
Q. What do you see when you play her?
VENUS WILLIAMS: What do I see? Oh... (Shrugging her shoulders).
Q. What is it like to play against her?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I enjoy it. We've had some great matches. I played her twice this year - I played her once in Paris and was real close. Antwerp, the first set was real close. So hopefully I'll be able to play well and get the match under my belt.
But it's a couple days from now. I have a lot of time to practice and work it out.
Q. What has been the difference in those matches? What does it come down to as far as your winning?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I don't like to lose that often. I don't know. Been able just to play a little bit better. I guess that's it. I don't know.
Q. How upset are you that you haven't won a major yet this year?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Not upset. I've tried and I just wasn't able to really step it up when it really counted. I've been able to do that the last couple years. I know for sure that I can't win every match, but I could try. That's what I do.
Q. When your serve is going so well, like it is tonight, what's the feeling inside? Do you really get a kick out of it? Does it give you special joy?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, when the serve is bad, then that's when I'm not happy, sure. But normally it's not as bad. And I'm getting older; as I get older, it seems to get better. When I was young, I had some bad days...
But I'd like to feel that I am progressing.
Q. Do you feel like your game's exactly where you want it to be at this stage of the tournament?
VENUS WILLIAMS: For sure I think that it's been really important that I've got to this stage, the semifinals. At least I've given myself the opportunity to go ahead and be this far in the tournament. I'd like to be a lot better, for sure. But that's just me as a player, that I always like to be better.
Q. Forgive me for looking ahead, should you and your sister both win on Friday, obviously you'll meet each other in the finals. Do you think it's beneficial to the development of your game to face your sister in so many finals so consistently? Would it be better for you to meet different players? Would that help further your game?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I feel it's best for me to meet Serena in the final.
Q. Why do you feel that way?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Because I want to see her do her best and I would like to see me do my best.
Q. Does it help move your game to the next level, knowing you know each other's games so much?
VENUS WILLIAMS: This isn't -- there's no answer for this question.
Q. But you don't think that facing different players would --?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I face different players every day.
Q. But in finals.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes, in finals also.
Q. Do you have any particular memories from that first prime time final last year? Anything that stands out when you think back on it: People who were there, Diana Ross, anything like that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't really think back to that match that often.
Q. Why not?
VENUS WILLIAMS: To be honest. I don't know. I just don't.
Q. You and Serena have different games. Do you think it's something that your father developed as you were younger, or is it something that both of you just developed on your young?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Definitely developed on our own. Our dad teaches us, and our mom, too, to play surely aggressively and also, of course, good defense, and also definitely take your opportunities - but two different personalties. We're two different players. I think we think of it differently, too, so it shows up in the game. We can't be the same.
Q. How different is your style of play from Mauresmo's? How would you describe Mauresmo's?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I think she's definitely at a stage in her game where she can only go forward. I remember a couple years ago where I was at that stage also, where I could -- you know, I was getting to quarterfinals and semifinals and all I could do was just keep going and go ahead and try to win those.
I think she's definitely at that stage. Fortunately I'm at the stage where I've done it and I know what it's like and I'd like to do it again. I do enjoy playing her. I think she hits a nice ball, at least for me. I like the way it sits.
Q. The match this afternoon, did you watch it? Are you surprised Jennifer lost?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. I was just trying to get away from my last match and trying to escape that match and move on. I didn't want to watch any tennis or think about any other player except for me. So I was just relaxing.
Q. Why did that last match so upset you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Because I just -- I let it get away from me. I had leads and opportunities and I don't like to play like this, especially at a Grand Slam, especially in the later rounds, and especially against a good player. I thought it was a little bit unfortunate that I had to get so close to being out of the tournament.
V. WILLIAMS/C. Rubin
MODERATOR: Questions for Venus.
Q. How do you feel about pulling this through?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It's real nice to be in the quarterfinals.
Q. Were you as calm as you looked on the breakpoints?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. I mean, at that point I had rushed so many shots, missed so many, I was just happy to be able to get through those points.
You know, today wasn't my best day, so it was nice to win on a day where I was off.
Q. What was going through your head in that third set, 11th game, serving down 15-40? What were you thinking about to turn it around?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. Just playing the point. It was nice that I got a few first serves in, I think maybe four in a row, finally.
You know, I just shouldn't have -- I should have just closed it out, really stayed tough while I had the lead instead of, you know, letting it get that far. But it wasn't all my fault. I think she played really good.
Q. Reason for changing the racquet?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It was about to break.
Q. Can you talk about the last two games? The last eight to ten points, you really stepped it up.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I was trying. I was trying to hit some forceful shots, give myself a chance. I definitely didn't want to go to the tiebreak. Of course, if I had to, no other choice to play it. But it was nice to hold serve and not have to be down a break. I tried to tell myself, "It's better than being down a break trying to close out the match off her serve."
Q. How difficult has the bad weather made it for you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Not difficult at all. I would have loved to have played yesterday. I don't know why they canceled my match. That's how it happens.
Q. Is there any concern now that as it gets deeper into the tournament, you have a bunch of matches together, it will have an effect?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, not at all.
Q. Serena says you've been outplaying her in practice pretty handily. Do you feel that way? Do you feel you're playing as well on the court today as you've been playing against her?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't think I had a very good practice this morning. Maybe that transferred over to the match. But it's always important to at least feel good in practice, if you can.
Q. Were you surprised at all the way she was able to hang in there with you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, no, not at all. I know she was going to play well. All she had to do was come out and beat me. I was making so many unforced errors. Sometimes on those slow serves, I just couldn't -- they were so slow (laughter).
Q. Why was she so effective on your second serve?
VENUS WILLIAMS: She's playing real good.
Q. There are matches where you served really well your second serve, other matches where you're taking a lot of pace off of it, you're unsure. What's going on there?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. To me all I care is that it goes in, whether it's hard or slow. Normally I'm not going for a really big second serve. Sometimes I do.
Q. So what? Percentage-wise, you're playing more for percentage or what?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Depends on how I feel, how I'm feeling that point, how I hit it.
Q. You said before that it feels good to win a match where you weren't playing at your best. Is it almost better to go into a quarterfinal with that kind of a match behind you rather than these straight-set wins?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I wouldn't say necessarily you have to go out there and have very tough matches to play your best.
Surely, maybe it can make you work a little harder, be a lot more serious about the later rounds.
Q. Were you frustrated during the match at all because of so many unforced errors on your part? What were you thinking in terms of your own patience or frustration, what was going through your head?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I was thinking a little bit, this is how I used to play in '98, back in the day. I don't like to go backwards to those times. Those were tough times for me. I like to live pretty much in the present, or play like I'm playing now and not digress.
Q. Did you see any of the tape of the Spirlea match they were replaying?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I didn't see it. I saw one point.
V. WILLIAMS/M. Muller
6-1 6-2
MODERATOR: Questions for Venus.
Q. Serena has said she watches the boards to see her own stats. Do you ever watch to see?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I didn't know there are stats up there.
Q. Happy with that performance, the way you played?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. It seemed to go a little quickly, but I guess that's a nice thing.
Q. In a way, would you like more of a test because at some point you're going to get one? Would it be nice to feel as if you played a bit more?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think I did well. I think she's a very good player. The whole time she was looking for a way to get into the match. I wasn't able to give her that chance today, so that was nice.
I would hate something to get totally out of proportion whereas I'm struggling instead of just going through the way I did today.
Q. Potentially you could play Chanda Rubin in the next round. Could you talk about your recent matches with her, her development since she's come back.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, she's doing really good. She just took off running once she came back on the tour. That's really nice. I think she's playing some good matches. I guess I look forward to playing her if she wins.
Q. You two played in the French Open. She played a pretty smart match against you, even though you beat her.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I had I guess a good strategy going in because I wasn't playing as well as I wanted to, so I had to really play some well-placed shots. So I think here I'm playing a lot better, so I won't have to struggle as much.
Q. You know what it's like to win this title. Is everything going to plan? Are you feeling as if you're moving up nicely in the buildup to a final next week hopefully?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. Still a long time away, the final, but it's getting closer. That's a good thing.
Q. Your sister appears to be getting most of the attention at the moment, more for what she's wearing on the court than how she's playing. Are you happy with that? She seems to enjoy it.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. I'm not reading the papers exactly. I do watch the tennis. But I think she's doing good.
Q. In the next round there are more seeded players playing against each other. How much changes between the third round and the fourth round when the competition gets a little bit tougher?
VENUS WILLIAMS: What I expect is definitely to get better with each round, so that's what I would like to do. I know that the competition normally gets better with each round, so I have to be more and more on my toes. It's something I expect as the tournament progresses.
V. WILLIAMS/M. Lucic
6-0, 6-0
Q. What was it like waiting for like six hours to play your match today?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It was a long wait, but I'm used to waiting actually, so...
I'm glad I wasn't the third match. At least I was the second.
Q. What did do you? Did you finish a book or something?
VENUS WILLIAMS: A couple of novels, yeah (laughter).
No, I just read the paper. It's hard to find a quiet place, a comfortable place to sit. I ended up sitting in the training room because they had a nice seat there.
Q. Not so much work once you got out there. At least you didn't make it look like work. How did it feel?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think that she's actually a good player, and if given the opportunity, she will get herself into the match. I wasn't especially keen on giving her those opportunities today.
It was nice to have that score. I've never had it - once, maybe in qualifications a long time ago.
Q. But never certainly at this level?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No.
Q. Last night a lot was made about Serena's outfit. Is all that talk kind of frivolous?
VENUS WILLIAMS: What was made of it?
Q. People asking her what she wore, what she thought of it.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I thought it was cute.
Q. Are you glad that people ask questions about what the women are wearing, or is that kind of frivolous conversation?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, no, not at all. Definitely I think we have some of the most colorful and different outfits, that's for sure. We like to wear them.
Q. Another frivolous question. Would you ever go down that road?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Which one?
Q. Wearing what she wore.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I would, but it's already been done. I'm not like one to do it second.
Q. Have you ever tried it on?
VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, I've never tried her clothes on. I guess she hasn't tried mine on either. Maybe if she takes the Puma logo off, I'd try it on (smiling).
Q. Tonight AltheaGibson is going to be honored. Can you talk about your first knowing about her, hearing about her? What were your impressions?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm not really sure, to be honest. I've never actually met her.
Q. Have you ever seen any videotape of her playing?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. I mean, just briefly.
Q. Anything striking, what were your impressions when you saw it?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I only saw a couple of plays. But she seemed very, very smooth and elegant as a player. But I never had the opportunity to actually watch an extended amount of her matches or her play.
Q. Probably going to be a headline story if you're not in the finals. Is there any pressure knowing that's the perception?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, not at all, because I realize I have the potential to be in the final. But it doesn't mean anything; I still have to play. I realize I can get there, I can be there, I've done it, but I still have to, I guess, perform and do everything it takes to be there.
Q. I guess there were a lot of kids watching, but 40 of them were from the Southeast Tennis Learning Center in DC. What do you think of the facility? What have your experiences been there?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It's very nice. I've been there twice. It's very nice. I like it. I didn't actually notice them in the crowd - believe it or not.
Q. You might be surprised to find out they were very high up.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Really (smiling)?
Q. Some of the kids said it was a long wait and a short match, but looking up to you let them see what they can be. Did you have an experience like that with any players when you were a kid?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Not really. Not really, no.
Q. No one you identified with in that way?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I had favorite players, sure. I think my most inspiration was definitely my parents and my sisters.
Q. Did you and Serena ever get to go over to matches at UCLA, Manhattan Beach when you were young?
VENUS WILLIAMS: We went to all those, that's for sure. I guess we sat high up. I don't remember where I sat, but I just remember being there.
Q. When Althea was playing and doing well, the hope was that she would pave the way for more minority kids to play tennis. It didn't exactly work out that way. Do you think times are different now? Are things different now where you guys would have more of an impact?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know.
Q. Can you see that at all yet?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It's not something I really dwell on every day, believe it or not. I mean, I don't think, you know, the next Czechoslovakian player is vying to make sure that other Czechs are in the game. It's the same for me. Even though I'm AfricanAmerican, I'm living my life every day, basically as a person.
Q. With the fame you accrue every day, is it tough to lead a normal life?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Sure, it's tough.
Q. But you try?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I'm definitely patient. I try to treat everyone as if they were the first person, you know, to ever ask for an autograph or picture or want to talk about tennis all day. You know, I don't go at the peak hours. If I go, I try to go in the morning.
Q. If you vary your schedule, you can go?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, yeah, I do, uh-huh.
Q. Do you have a book that you're keeping in the dressing room for the next time you have to wait?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I just have my study books, but I don't really bring them because they're kind of exhausting. They'll drain you. I don't have my funny books and my nonsense books. I wouldn't mind going to the bookstore
Wimbledon
S. WILLIAMS/V. Williams
7-6, 6-3
MODERATOR: Good afternoon. Venus Williams. First question, please.
Q. Do you have something to your shoulder, an injury?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I'm okay, thank you.
Q. After the match, you sat down for a minute, then you started talking. What were you chatting about, if you'd be willing to share?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, just of what to do in the ceremony basically. If you don't know, then you don't know, if someone doesn't tell.
Q. Can you run through your emotions now?
VENUS WILLIAMS: My what?
Q. Your emotions. Are you more disappointed that you lost? More happy for your sister? More thrilled by the way you played?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Just normal. I would have liked to have won, but once again, too late.
Q. What was the difference in today's match? What did you see in Serena that made her the champion?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Really, I just think that she just had a better shot. I think I played well, to be honest, and high-percentage tennis. She just was pressing and hitting a lot of forceful shots.
Q. Did you feel at times your serve let you down today? Was that the big factory?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I did have some double-faults on breakpoints, but I don't really feel like my serve let me down today, not really.
Q. You're serving not as fast as you have here in the past. Is that the court, the balls, or is it your shoulder?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Just trying to last for all the matches now, not just one game.
Q. Are you consciously letting off a little bit?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Just I'm going for a higher first serve - how about that - percentage. I like that answer.
Q. Serena is more brave and violent than you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I guess you'll have to make your own assumption.
Q. Yesterday twice she makes stop when you begin to speak. She answered on the question.
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I like to give her her space and let her speak.
Q. Have you ever seen Serena hit her backhand like that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Really, she was just tremendous today. I think that it wasn't like a lot between us. But just on some of those points, she was getting some that I couldn't get.
Q. Did the quality of tennis seem much higher to you guys as it did to us?
VENUS WILLIAMS: We were just doing our best. We both wanted to win.
Q. Was it fun, especially the first set with the tiebreak, going back and forth?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Maybe if I had won, it might have been a little more fun. But having lost, I had more pressure on me to win the second set (laughter).
Q. You now have lost the two last Grand Slams to someone who is now the No. 1 player in the world. What do you have to do to beat her?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Just get down in there and fight. That's my best answer.
Q. As talkative as the two of you are during doubles, when you had the changeovers on today's match, was there -- as focused as you are, was there any point where you had the urge to talk to Serena?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, no.
Q. That last break against you, when you double-faulted, were you feeling tired at that point? Was there a little bit of tension you felt? What happened on that one shot?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Just a bad choice. I would have chose differently if I could have. But there it was.
Q. How proud are you right now of your sister? What sort of show do you think you put on today compared with the other Grand Slam finals you've met in?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think, you know, it's great to see Serena doing well because for a while there she wasn't doing her best. I didn't think she was doing the best that she could do. So now I think she has to feel better that she's taken full advantage of her career.
Q. And the show you put on today compared with the other Grand Slam finals?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes, we're entertainers. We always want the crowd and everyone watching the game to be entertained, basically.
Q. In the past, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert dominated women's tennis. Then there was a period when Steffi was dominant. Now you and Serena have the upper hand. If you have to say to those critics that say it's bad you're both dominant now, how would you respond to them?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I wouldn't respond.
Q. What do you think? Do you think it's good for women's tennis that the two of you are in a dominant position?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think so.
Q. In what way?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think that we get a lot of attention for not just only women's tennis, but tennis in general. People are watching tennis now.
Q. You both were stretching each other an awful lot, running down balls. Did you think while you were playing, reflecting afterwards, that was the best the two of you have played against each other? Seemed that way to us.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Just less unforced errors. Only this.
Q. But you both were going for lines, corners, making them?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I don't think I was going for it as much as Serena, but I don't play the same game as she plays. For her, it's all or nothing. For me, it's not this.
Q. Did she or anybody else make you run as much as this one?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Not normally. But you've got to have plan B. I'm glad that I can get to those balls, to be honest.
Q. As the older one, you were expected to care for and look after your sister for a long time. Is it maybe harder for you to beat her than it is for her? What does these last two Grand Slams mean for the hierarchy or order in the family?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Basically I think it's my responsibility to take care of each other more than anything. As far as the rest of the question, I don't really remember it, but I think that we're both pretty much in the same position.
Q. Talent is universal. You are a little bit sad. How do you stay with the dancing and singing, playing instrument with the music so generally?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't understand.
Q. You said last year Serena wasn't really playing up to her potential, and that's why she wasn't doing as well. There were specific things she had to do, get her emotions under control, work on some of her shots. What do you have to do to get back to the dominant position you were in last summer?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I still feel that I am in a dominant position, but it's virtually -- it's almost impossible to win every match. I aspire to do so, but it doesn't always happen.
But normally, I have a high winning percentage, that's what it takes, I guess hang in here and stay on tour, is to win some and lose some.
Q. Is it getting any emotionally easier to play Serena in these matches or is it still tough inside?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, it never was difficult.
Q. It's not difficult emotionally?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No.
Q. What do you think you can learn to your younger sister now?
VENUS WILLIAMS: What can I teach her?
Q. Yes.
VENUS WILLIAMS: As far as what?
Q. What you can learn.
VENUS WILLIAMS: What can I learn?
Q. Yes.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, I don't know. I guess we just try to take the best from each other, even on and off the court. Just we're role models for each other to see what each other's doing good. I suppose with each other, what we're doing bad. But I don't criticize her. That's the only thing I won't do.
Q. Will you get treatment on your shoulder?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Just going to rest for the doubles. It's good that I don't have to serve every other game.
Q. Do you believe you will be the world No. 1 again?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, that's what I'm here for, to be on top. Not trying to linger around at No. 2.
But I've done my personal best this year. I don't think I could do more.
Q. I noticed that you had your chair facing the Royal Box, whereas Serena was facing the court. Was that just incidental or did you prefer not to be able to see Serena at the changeovers?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. She turns her chair. I just sit how they come. They were sitting like that. They were facing that way.
Q. What do you think the rest of the tour thought? It seems like the only two who can get your shots are each other. What do you think the rest of the women's tour thought as they were watching that match today in terms of the bar?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Not sure, to be honest. I never gave it any thought.
Q. Are there times when you hit a shot that you think nobody else would have gotten that except Serena?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, sure. But then again, I think there's a lot of times that maybe she wouldn't have gotten it. Just today she played very well. Really, I kept my balls most times deep and on the line, and she kept returning them deep and on the line. So what can you do with this?
Q. Was she simply unbeatable today, if anybody plays her or even you at your best? Given what you just said, even you at your best you couldn't have beaten her?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I hope. I'm never going to count myself out. If the match wasn't over, I still wouldn't count myself out (laughter).
But I think that for anyone to compete against her like this, it's going to be very difficult.
Q. What kind of instructions did you give her about going to get the plate, what she needed to do?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, no one told me the first year that you have to curtsy. So I was just running around like a fool (laughter).
I made it a point to tell her that you have to curtsy. I said, "Did you know that?" She said, "No." "Well, you have to curtsy."
Actually, that was about it.
Q. Was it strange not having the Duchess of Kent out there?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I liked this Duchess very much, too (laughter).
Q. At what level does it hurt to lose your Wimbledon crown?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It's not fun losing, no matter who you lose to. Doesn't matter. It's not something that I'm going to get used to or try to adjust to because I'm not one for losing often. So naturally I'm going to go out there and try to win the very next time.
Q. Does the shoulder hurt at all? Do you need ice?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Going to take some time between the singles and doubles. That's all I can do.
Q. Feel like muscle more than bone?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know.
Q. What is the different atmosphere in the final US Open, the French Open, and here? Did you realize that today there were no more than a hundred black people watching the match?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I love this court. I like the way it plays. I like the stadium. As far as black people watching the match, well, maybe more will come out next time, I hope. But I think that everyone there thoroughly enjoyed the game. That's what's most important.
V. WILLIAMS/J. Henin
July 4th
6-3, 6-2
Q. Your sister is winning seems to be fairly easily right now. What would it take for the two of you to bring out the best in each other?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. I've been posed this question so many times, I just don't know.
Q. What was the best match you think you've had against her?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know.
Q. What does the 4th of July mean to you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't really celebrate any holidays. I don't know. Oh, gosh (laughter).
Q. You had a pretty good American contingent decked out in stars and stripes cheering you on. Were you aware of that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I heard them from behind, but I didn't actually see them. I heard them a couple of times. That was nice. It's not too often that I have a stand cheering for USA. Always quite a few countries out there that support their players, but not always USA, so that was nice.
Q. The difference with last year's final, were you better or was she weaker? What was the difference?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know (laughter). I guess I don't know too much today. I just think that I was just maybe more solid than what she was. She played very well. Actually, once I got to 4-Love, I felt I had to push even more because she was playing consistently, returning my serves better, running a lot of my approach shots down that I was hitting for winners earlier.
So I just think that I was able to play the more important points better, those breakpoints and things like that.
Q. Did she just get going a little quicker than you did? It was 2-Love, then you won eight in a row.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, not really, because I think that the first two games, it took like 15 minutes. By then I was nice and warmed up. But I think that I was returning serves much better. She hardly got any free points off her serve, which usually she gets a lot more. A lot of pressure when the ball keeps coming back.
Q. How would you describe what the matches have been like with Serena? What are the common dominators? What makes it so difficult to play at your best level for each of you, do you think?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Just a lot of unforced errors basically.
Q. Are you looking forward to the final on Saturday or your doubles match later today?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, been on the doubles schedule four days now without playing. Looks like we'll play today.
Q. Is it good for tennis that you guys are at this level where you're often going to meet in Grand Slam finals?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think it's good for tennis. I think it's good for Serena and I more than anything.
Q. What makes it good? What do you think the appeal is?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think that it's just something that's been unprecedented, never seen before. We make the headlines and the cover stories, all the news, because it's Serena and I, it's something that's never happened. See if she does get the final, I'm going to try to get out there as soon as I can, it's going to be big news again.
That's how tennis gets in the news, when there's amazing things happening.
Q. A lot of people look at the No. 2 player in the world and say that Serena has a tough forehand, great serve, particularly the second, good movement. What would your scouting report be of Serena and what makes her so tough to play on court?
VENUS WILLIAMS: She's a great competitor, big serve, lots of power, great forehand, lots of movement (smiling).
Q. What strokes gives you the most problem?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Really, just has an all-around game. She can do anything. A game pretty much similar to mine, so I respect that, and I know where she's coming from.
Q. Are you afraid your baby sister is going to take your crown and No. 1 slot?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I suppose I didn't win the French Open, but I'm going to do my best here at Wimbledon. That's all I can do.
Q. In most families that are fortunate enough to have more than one child make it to the pros, still there's usually a case of one sibling becoming dominant over the other. What makes you two too stubborn for one to surrender to the other?
VENUS WILLIAMS: We both love to win. I'm not used to losing. It doesn't happen that often. It's quite the same with her. You know, when I go home, I've managed to lose, I can't believe it. So I just don't get there that often. I think that's what makes it the same for both of us.
Q. Is it something when you were five, six years old, or did it have to be instilled in you by your dad and mom as you played?
VENUS WILLIAMS: What? Instilled what?
Q. In other words, did you want to win when you picked up a racquet when you were six years old, or did they say, "You have to win"? You just had fun and you had to learn to win?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think for sure when I got on the professional tour, I did have to learn to win. I did win most of the times, but the more important matches, you have to learn to win those, sure.
But I think we just had a lot of positive reinforcement, is the main thing. I think that's why we both have been able to be so successful because there's a lot of tennis players, and they're self-motivated, they started themselves. I think what happened is that my parents started us, and they both believed in us. So that's really been the main thing, why we've done so well.
Q. Is it getting any easier to play Serena, the more you play her?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Not really, because she keeps getting better.
Q. What about emotionally?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It's all the same. When I walk out there, I realize I'm playing the No. 2 player, a real powerhouse, I've got to be on my toes.
Q. You were talking after the French Open that the way you guys hit your strokes is part of what contributes to the matches maybe not being as high a level of tennis as your matches against some other people. Do you think that's going to change at all or because of the way you play, that will always be the case?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, just unforced errors double maybe than if I was playing someone like Henin who maybe doesn't make as many errors.
Q. Reportedly there's a guy who is stalking your sister. If your dad got a hold of that guy, what do you think he'd do to him?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Probably take him to lunch.
Q. He was in court this morning at Wimbledon magistrate and actually released. Does that worry you that he is still free? Will it affect your game at all?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, not at all. I don't think I could really comment on it.
Q. You've described how tough it is to play your sister from the pure tennis standpoint. What is the mental side of it, seeing your sister on the other side of the court?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think the only difference between playing my sister and playing someone else is that I want to win, but I want her to win also basically, because I want the best for her - but yet I am still going out there strong.
Q. Does that affect play, do you think?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, not at all.
Q. What are you having for your power breakfast on Saturday?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't really eat breakfast.
Q. Nothing before you go on the court?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I kind of wait till lunch.
Q. Serena was talking about how you guys practice, she thinks you're elevating each other's games because you're practicing against each other every day. Have there been some practice sessions where afterwards you guys have just said, "Boy, I wish we could do this in a final," because they've been so intense?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think that a lot of the times I'll see her doing well, be, "Oh, I've got to pick up a few of those things she's doing." At times I'll be doing something, she said, "Venus, you really push me to do better." I suppose that's real nice.
Q. Do you think your friendship with Serena will survive if you keep doing the finals?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, for sure.
Q. Are you afraid that the media, everybody tries to make a rivalry between you two to make things more interesting?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I don't know. I mean, there's always so many issues that people try to put in your head. But I don't have any issues (laughter).
Q. With Jennifer and now Justine losing, do you think you and Serena are the most improved players on the women's tour?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I don't know. But I think that right now we're playing the best tennis in the past few weeks, which is quite important since this is the high point of the Grand Slam season. So it's nice to play great tennis at this time of the year.
Q. If you had to ask a question to Serena, what would you ask? If she had to ask you a question, would you like -- what would you like her to ask you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. That's my favorite word today. I ask her all kinds of questions.
Q. Just ask her a question, what would you like to know from her that you don't know?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think I know most things.
Q. What particularly pleased you about your match today?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think that this was the best match that I've played the whole tournament, and the fact that I did play a very good player, someone who knows how to play on grass. The intensity level was very high. And I think that I rose my game to the occasion, especially on the groundstrokes, because I have not been hitting my groundstrokes well.
I think my serve went down today, but as far as going into the final, I think my serve and my groundstrokes are both going to have to be there.
Q. You told us you don't celebrate holidays, you don't eat breakfast. What else don't you do that's of interest or of importance?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I don't drink milk. I like jello, cranberries. I have a sticker collection.
Q. When you said you didn't celebrate holidays, did you ever go to a fireworks demonstration at all on the 4th, either in California or Florida?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Maybe when I was younger. We love fireworks. That's the highlight of your life, fireworks, when you're young.
July 2 (¼final
V. WILLIAMS/E. Likhovtseva
6-2, 6-0
Q. Watching you, it seems like you're a machine. I mean that respectfully. How badly are you going to beat the next person. How do you feel as you go through your matches?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm just trying to keep my unforced error count down, and just trying to play more solid every round, garner each point for myself. When it happens like it did today, it's very, very nice, I think. I don't think she gave me a lot of errors actually. I think I had to produce most of the shots and put a lot of pressure on her. So she felt like she had to go for more.
Q. You don't seem to really get too high after victories like today. After the tournament, at any point, do you ever step back and reflect on what you do?
VENUS WILLIAMS: When I was younger, I used to always do a lot of fist pumps and things like that. It's not that it's still not as exciting now, it's now I expect for myself to be almost perfect, whereas when I first started, I was just first doing things , first getting to the quarterfinals. It was all new. But now I expect to be there. So I think that's a huge difference.
Q. Maturity, I guess, more or less?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes. I've won and lost, and I think I know what it takes.
Q. Was it almost perfect today?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I'd like to improve a lot more. I think I hit a lot of balls up the middle, and maybe my preparation was a little slow. But I'll be studying myself, I suppose.
Q. In Paris you almost lost with the serve. Here it was magnificent. What happened with the serve?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I was tired of just having to struggle so much on my serve. And now sometimes when I throw it up and hit it, I'm not even thinking very much, just hitting.
Q. There appeared to be a problem with your knee in the first game of the second set where you went to smash the attempted lob. You just stopped for a second. Was there a problem with that at all?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. I almost missed that shot because I miss-timed it, so it was a lucky shot. But I got it over the net, it barely went. But it was such an easy smash, and those are the ones sometimes can get you into trouble if you miss them.
Q. When you were younger, winning here and other places, you did the fist pumps, danced a little bit, you did it more out of sheer joy. Do you think that irritated people, your opponents? Did you become aware of that at all?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I don't think so. I hope it didn't irritate anyone else, because that's not what I was out to do at all. I just think that I was very, very excited. And when I look back on those times, I laugh still. And I just hope that other people were able to kind of share those exciting times with me.
Q. Are you favoring your knee at all? Are you trying to sort of look after it? It seemed you were walking slightly gingerly today.
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I'm feeling good, very good, thank you.
Q. Is tennis as fun for you now that perfection has become the benchmark instead of just the simple joy of playing it?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I realize that I might never be perfect. I think I'd have to definitely go out and practice more. But with the amount of tournaments that you play, when you get home, you do have to take some days off. So it's just getting that happy medium.
Q. The old saying in sports, It's easier to become No. 1 than stay No. 1, because everyone is challenging you, and you also feel like you have to defend your own position. Do you find that at all?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I don't feel that, strangely enough. I'm No. 1. Next week I could be No. 2. It just doesn't bother me. Not that I want to be No. 2. But I'm just here to win every match and to do the best I can. Whatever becomes of that becomes of it. I don't feel like anyone's chasing me or trying to take me down. I realize with each match I play, with each opponent, no matter what I'm ranked, my opponent is going to try to win. So it's all the same.
Q. You said you knew what it takes to win. What are those elements?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I found that with any Grand Slam, you have to play aggressively, you have to really step up and take it to your opponent. You can't just sit back and wait and hope they miss, because I tried that, and it just didn't work. I think that's the first thing. And the second thing is, when you step up, you have to make the shot.
Q. You played a lot of volleys today. Was it because you were better than your opponent or because you like to?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It's because of the doubles, it really is . Because now I have a lot of confidence in my volleys, whereas before my volleys were really off. So even if I did come in, I was missing shots. So now I'm coming in, I know I can volley (laughter).
Q. Yesterday the tour said they might start out-of-competition drug testing next year. Would you be in favor of that? Have you ever thought it was an issue?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I never thought it was or is. But I realize in other sports, they do lots of testing. I wouldn't be against it, I suppose.
Q. Do you have any problem with them testing outside of competition, just showing up randomly at your door?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't think that's a good idea. I think there has to at least be a notice normally. I wouldn't let anyone in my house if I'm not expecting them. Showing up at the door, you kidding (laughter)?
Q. The ATP does it.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Actually, that happened to me once. Someone tried to get in the development, doing a drug test. If I wasn't tested in the next two hours, I wouldn't be playing on tour. You know, there's always someone at the gates trying to get in.
Q. When was this?
VENUS WILLIAMS: This was right before Wimbledon, from the USADA.
Q. An Olympic thing?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, it was just someone trying to get in.
Q. Just a phoney?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes.
Q. Did it almost work?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. Normally I tell the gate, "Tell them Venus moved to Siberia some months ago."
Q. What do you think of the suspicion that seems to be encompassing all of sports where, no matter what people are doing, people are suggesting doping or steroids or whatever?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I really can't answer for other sports. But I think in tennis, it's unprecedented. I don't think it's a factor at all.
Q. Was this hoax in London just before the Wimbledon tournament?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes. Always something.
Q. Don't you worry if there's no testing out of competition that players who are clean are going to get taken advantage of by players who do use drugs and then a week or two before the tournament just sort of stop and clean their system?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I'm not afraid of that.
Q. The dressing on your knee, is that for support, for the tendonitis?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes. Mainly because if for some reason I did go out there on the court and I did injure it further - it became sore or something happened - it's hard to tape within three minutes, a tape job.
Q. It's preventive rather than treatment?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes. So in the case that something does happen, I'm already taped. And hopefully I won't have to retape.
Q. And it feels good, apart from that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Pardon me?
Q. You're not feeling it?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. I'm feeling good.
Q. You talked before about your pursuit of a perfect game. What is your idea of a perfect game?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Actually, when I suppose all the balls that you hit go where you want them to go and they all fall in. I don't think it's going to happen too often.
Q. Which between the men do you like the most?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Between the men? I like Pete's serve a lot, and Ivanisevic and Krajicek.
Q. Your last two matches, performance in the last two matches, was that a direct result of the first set that you referred to as a wake-up call?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It was a little disappointing to lose that set, for sure. But more than anything, I've just been trying to play within myself because this tournament has been, to me, for me, real easy, it seems, just to hit the ball out. So I have to kind of pull myself in to keep the balls in.
Q. You said when you walk off court, you want to feel like you did a good job. How do you reward yourself when you feel you've done a good job?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Good question. I should find a way (smiling).
Q. Are you finding time to enjoy yourself in London? Have you done any things?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No.
Q. Not really?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No.
Q. No time?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Die like the markets, but it's hard to sneak away from here.
Q. Or to Siberia?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Siberian cruise (laughter).
July1
V. WILLIAMS/L. Raymond
6-1, 6-2
MODERATOR: Venus Williams. First question, please.
Q. You looked like you were moving a lot better today than Saturday. Could you talk about that.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I was just trying to improve as the tournament goes on. I saw that I was moving not as fast as I could on Saturday, so just trying to get my feet moving.
Q. In the second set when you were about to go down and caught yourself with your hands, you still got up and got to the ball, can you talk about how you managed to do that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Just fighting for the point, that's all. Just competing.
Q. Were you pleased with your game today?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm just feeling better about keeping my unforced errors down. Just trying to play some controlled tennis, get a nice result, get into the quarterfinals.
Q. How confident are you in your game right now, and what factor is your previous success here?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It's definitely nice knowing that I've won the tournament before, have the experience. I know what it takes to win here. That's nice. So I think I have a lot going for me with that. I am the only player in the draw who has won here maybe.
Q. As you play players who have never beaten you, is there any danger of overconfidence or looking ahead to the matches against the ones who have even a small chance, in your mind, of testing you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, not at all, never a danger of overconfidence. I feel that going into a Grand Slam, anyone can have a great day, anyone can come out loose, feeling great, give me a lot of trouble.
So today it was nice that I played well.
Q. It looked like you stepped up the speed on both your first and second serves today, yet no double-faults. Do you feel like match by match you're building something here with your serve that could be very important during the last three matches?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Definitely want to. I've served well already. I don't want to be thrown off. Definitely in the doubles, too, working on my serve. And actually doubles has helped my volleys a lot. That's one of the reasons why I came in so much today because I feel confident on my volleys.
Q. Would you compare the rhythm that you're feeling with your serve now with what you had at the French Open?
VENUS WILLIAMS: The French Open, I was hoping for the best, and the best never came (laughter).
Q. If doubles helps you with your volleys, why not just play doubles at all the Grand Slams?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It hasn't been easy, especially with all the wrist problems I've had. It's too much vibration, too much tension on my wrist. But now that I've gotten better -- especially with the little injury I had in Rome, too, I couldn't play doubles in the French Open.
So if I can just recover with my wrist, then play more doubles.
Q. So now obviously your wrist is feeling good enough that you can play both, which is going to make you feel pretty good?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I love the doubles. Serena and I, we love the doubles competition. I guess you can see how much fun we have out there.
Q. What did you think of Lisa's effort, level today?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Definitely high effort. That's one thing you can admire about Lisa. You could see that in the second set she kept searching for a way to get into the match, try some serve and volleys, try some more approach shots, play the backhand more, try something different. And that's one thing I respected about her. She was always trying a different avenue to get into the match.
Q. You mentioned you might be the only one in the draw who has won here before. What is the difference in knowledge level between having won and not won, even at a Grand Slam level, before you won your first Grand Slam, then being a Grand Slam winner?
VENUS WILLIAMS: What's the difference between -- the knowledge level?
Q. Yes.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Just maybe confidence a little higher. Knowing that you've been there, players in the draw who have never won a Grand Slam before, so they're striving their best to make it happen here for the first time; whereas I have the experience to have done it before.
Q. Is there any one particular thing that you sort of feel like you know better now than before you were winning them?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think, more than anything, I just am always able to step up and play my best tennis when it counts a lot better than what I was a few years ago.
Q. Raymond may be, off of her results, the best doubles players on the women's tour. We didn't see her at the net very often today. Did that surprise you, as well?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Her?
Q. Yes.
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, because I think that she realized that I have some great passing shots. Off of her serve, also, I can get a good hit on it. Force her to hit a low volley or even pass her a few times. I did expect her to play from the baseline. I only played her once before and she played mostly from the baseline.
Q. She wound up on one serve and volley point where you were also chipping and charging, volleying her volley. Did you catch her by surprise, do you think?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I was just trying to take the ball early. If she's going to slice, maybe I'll take it out of the air and beat her to it.
Q. Did you need a match like this today, after having a bit of a tough time in your last match, people thought you may have been slow, hurting, what have you. Did you have a long off day? Did you need to come out and have a statement match like this, so to speak?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think it's important for me to play well and for me to feel like when I walk off the court that I've played well, more than anything. Definitely the last match I would have liked to have played better. But today was very solid. Going into the quarterfinals, is good.
Q. You weren't at all maybe overeager to kind of get back?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. Yesterday was a long day, though. Today, I was glad it came.
Q. Is it realistic for you, hitting as hard and deep as you are, that anyone could volley consistently against you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Sure, I think so. Lisa's definitely a great volleyer. The best part is that she can rely on her volley game and her groundstroke game either way. But I think the best way to play on the grass is to come forward and to play aggressive.
Q. Jennifer Capriati has been quoted recently saying things like you and Serena wouldn't have taken the 1 and 2 ranking if Lindsay and Martina were still around. Do you take some of her statements as a lack of respect or ill will toward you and Serena?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, not at all.
Q. How would you characterize your thoughts on her as a player and a person?
VENUS WILLIAMS: She's definitely a great person. When you look at her, she's just a great athlete more than anything. She can hit great shots from any position. That's one thing that I think has made her so good. You know, she's a much better athlete than a lot of the players out there.
Q. As a person?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know as a person. Seems like a funny person.
Q. Can you talk about your next opponent? You've beaten her in all seven previous matches.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. Who am I playing?
Q. Elena.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Likhovtseva?
Q. Yes.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, okay. Well, I did play her here last year, like the third round maybe. She plays a nice game; deep and somewhat flat. So every ball that I get, I'm just going to get on top of it.
Q. The last two summers from Wimbledon through The Open, you just kind of dominated pretty much. You swept through the fields. How probable is that for you this year?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I always enjoy the hard court season because it's nice to get back on the hard courts. I always love going back to California. So maybe that's why I play well. I don't know.
Q. I mean, from this tournament through The Open, for almost the eight weeks, you pretty much have dominated. Do you feel like you're capable of doing that again?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I would like to. I've had two great years, and I couldn't ask for more. But I will (laughter).
Q. Can you tell us about the knee bandage?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. I'll definitely wear it again in doubles. But right now I feel good.
Q. Is it for prevention, pressure or did you scratch your knee?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I didn't scratch it. Just a little sore, that's all. Just for prevention.
Q. You said before something about what it takes to get all the way through. What does it take for you to get all the way through?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Just a lot of focus. I'm just trying to remember where I was at last year and the year before mentally. That's what I try to focus in on, try to be the same person that I was those past two years.
Q. When you weigh your options about playing Fed Cup, what usually has to play into it for you to play?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Just -- I think if I'll be tired or not - mentally mostly - and if I'll be able to be there that whole week basically. I like playing Fed Cup always, but I always try to think about when it comes around to that week, will I want to be there.
Q. Serena said a few months ago she really would prefer to play Fed Cup when her ranking was enough to be able to play singles. Now that her ranking is enough to play singles, is it something you can see both of you playing together?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Uh-huh. We've always had a great experience. Especially when we played the first year, won the whole thing, that was real nice. Also the fact that we never played on a team environment, that was nice also because, sure, we played in doubles, but it was still Serena and I. It was nice to be with other players.
Q. Do you feel your presence getting bigger in the second week of the tournament? There's, again, that intimidation factor. The more the second week goes on, do you feel like your presence in the draw gets bigger maybe to the opponents you face?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Maybe. I don't know. I hope.
Q. Do you think it's your presence or your strokes?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It could be everything. I mean, I am quite tall. Sometimes I wonder how I look to my opponent on the other side of the net (laughter). I probably look like I can just reach out and cover anything maybe.
Q. How much better are you now than you were when you lost to Graf here?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It was so disappointing. I just didn't want to win.
Q. Is she the best player you ever played on grass?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I can't say that, no.
Q. Who would be?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. I haven't really actually played a grass court player. I think Serena played Els Callens the other day. I think she was a good grass court player. Maybe NathalieTauziat.
Q. Do you put those two in the same category at Steffi?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Not the same category. But I didn't consider Steffi a grass court player. I considered her a champion, sure. She never really came in, never served and volleyed. I don't think that was exactly grass court tennis.
Q. You said you were so sad, you didn't want to win that day.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Not that I want -- I didn't do what it took to win.
Q. In what way?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Just missing, just not stepping up. But that was years ago. I'm a different person. I don't even know who that was anymore.
Q. Who is the best grass court player, woman, you've ever seen, films, TV, or anything?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. My memory goes back to like about '89. I remember a few matches from then. But most players from when I remember have been mostly baseliners.
Q. Did you watch Martina play much at all?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Uh-huh. I never played her, though.
Q. You watched her game?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, sure.
Q. What would you like to become as a grass court player? How would you be the best grass court player you can be?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I'd like to serve and volley more, I suppose, on the grass or on the hard, come in more. But I think my game is at the baseline. That's where I was taught.
June 29
Rd 32
Q. What did you say to yourself after the first set of that singles match?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I just felt I was playing too passive, a little too tentative. I was a little disappointed with myself, to be honest, in the first.
Q. Any reason why that might have been so, that you were playing tentative?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I just had a slow start, I think, and I didn't really speed it up the way I would have liked.
Q. How determined were you at the start of that second set? I think it took you about 10 minutes to get up 4-Love.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I wasn't ready to go home. I wasn't ready to give it up just yet. So I was able to raise the level of my game, get my feet moving. Sometimes it takes that to wake a player up.
Q. You had a plaster on your left leg. How is that leg?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, doing good. It's just hard at my height on the grass. I have to bend a lot. Sometimes I get sore.
Q. Nothing to worry about? Did it happen in practice, your last match?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, no. Just sore.
Q. From the running or the bending?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, just from being a professional tennis player. It's like an injury that you take.
Q. Did it affect you at all in the game, did you think?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, not at all.
Q. Could you sum up this first week, first three matches?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It's been nice. My best match was my first match, for sure. I think the last two have been a little bumpy. But looking forward to trying to straighten things out.
And I play best when I'm not going to think too much, just go out there and try to play tennis
V. WILLIAMS/V. Ruano Pascual
6-3, 6-1
Rd32
Q. When you went home from the French Open, how much time did you spend working on your serve? Was that a big priority for you between the French and Wimbledon?
VENUS WILLIAMS: To be honest I didn't really spend any time. I only hit one day. I spent more time when I got here working on my serve.
Q. Was it something specifically you wanted to do with your serve?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, just flow. That's all. I just want it to flow.
Q. To slow it down in order to get the higher percentage?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, flow. Flowing. That's all I want.
Q. How do you get it to flow?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Doesn't always flow (smiling).
Q. How?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. Mostly when I step up to the line I'm not thinking about what I have to do, just serve it - normally, which is what I do well.
Q. You look like you were having a lot of fun playing doubles with Serena today.
VENUS WILLIAMS: We always have fun in doubles. We haven't been playing as much as we wanted to, so we were just real excited to get out there. We were just overly -- maybe overly happy. Because we just -- we have so much fun, doubles especially. When we're winning, we have conversations, kind of catch up.
Q. When you're going back and you're doing this, you're not talking about tennis points.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Sometimes, depends. You don't want your opponents to read your lips.
Q. Do you ever get sick of each other?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No.
Q. She doesn't do anything to get on your nerves?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. She's not that kind of person. She's a real addition.
Q. She said she never goes to the grocery store?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, she doesn't. But doesn't worry me.
Q. Early in the tournament. What was your best conversation out there with your baby sister?
VENUS WILLIAMS: On the doubles?
Q. Yeah.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Best one's definitely on the sidelines and we don't think that 60 seconds is enough time.
Q. Should have more?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Goes by so quickly.
Q. Because doubles is so exhausting?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. It's just that we enjoy the changeovers.
Q. You had a lot of lobs that were attempted to be hit over your head today. What do you think about when people think that might be a weapon against you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I just think when you -- we play the doubles, players aren't as powerful. We expect the lobs. But if we feel they can hit through us, normally that's what they try.
Q. You had a very minimal number of double-faults in these two matches. Is that an indication that your serve is flowing better right now, and is it sort of snowballing in a sense that you feel more confident with it?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Just trying to take each serve seriously and not really play around at all, especially in practice. And sometimes I double-fault more than what I do with others. So I don't expect to double-fault.
Q. With your dad not here, how much are you in contact with him, you and Serena?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It's hard to reach him sometimes, especially if his cell phone is off. Best is E-mail.
Q. Have you been E-mailing him? Do you E-mail back and forth?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I sent him a picture, so... I didn't get a response yet.
Q. A picture?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes.
Q. Of you playing?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, no, no. It was a forward letter. That was something different. No, I didn't send the picture.
Q. Are you talking about tennis at all, though? Will you be talking to him this week?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Not too much. No.
Q. When you're in a doubles match like you were today and somebody consistently serves in the 60s, does that give you trouble because you're not used to such soft serves?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It can throw you off. Normally what we do is just -- what we were trying to do is just take a short stroke and shorten our stroke and just get in. So it worked okay. But we have to maintain control normally.
Q. One of the other women players was saying today there's a whole generation of young kids out there who are going to approach tennis completely differently because of what you and Serena and, like, Mary Pierce and Jennifer are doing with the game off the court, all the conditioning, the strength and whatnot. I was wondering how you feel knowing you're having that kind of an impact on how the way the game is played and approached.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Basically, tennis has always gone to another level. Right now, I'm a part of the best level of tennis at this time, but a few years from now there will probably be players better than what I am. So hopefully I'll be ready.
Q. You're kind of the fashion expert. Did you suggest the hairdo to your mom?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, no. I -- well, she had been saying she wanted it for a while, so it happened.
Q. What do you think?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think it's really solid (smiling).
Q. What is it called?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It's called an Afro.
Q. It is?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.
Q. What do you think of MartinaNavratilova playing doubles on Centre Court as we sit here?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think that she's definitely missed that Centre Court. She's had too many great times there. And really just for her to be back there, I'm sure, is really elating for her.
Q. If you grade out your singles match today, what are the good things you did and the things you're not satisfied with?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think I served well. I don't think I returned as well as I'd like. It was strange conditions because it was windy and then sometimes she'd play a slice and I couldn't really -- I couldn't really get a rhythm today, it seemed.
But more than anything, I was just trying to keep playing consistently.
Q. If you were ranking your singles performance against your doubles performance, how do you rate yourself as the two?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I like singles better because I feel more confident in singles. Actually, doubles is much more difficult nor me.
Q. What's the difference between having up in the friends box, your dad, RichardWilliams, and the heavyweight champion of the world, LennoxLewis?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Big difference. I mean, I don't know. Normally, I don't look up in the box. I manage to see someone in the box that was different looking in the first match, around 5-1 in the second set. So normally I'm not looking in the box.
Q. Did he catch your eye?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, not at that time. I was in the match. All that was important was the match.
Q. Two people jumped on to the court today after one of the matches. Your sister was also talking the other day about having her own security because of an unfortunate situation earlier this year. How much more popular the women's game gets, is this more of a concern in general for women athletes and especially you guys?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think that more than ever you have to be, these days, very careful of what you do and where you go and what time you do it and if you do it alone or with someone else. And you have to be very conscious about who's looking at you. Because normally I feel it's my job to know who's watching me, who's looking at me and who's eyeing me down. So normally I do feel who is and I get away.
Q. When you're out and about, you notice who's looking at you and how they're looking at you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Uh-huh. I have to. I guess I'm used to it now.
Q. Have you gotten extra security or anything like that, the way Serena has?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I stay home a lot, so I guess I don't need any.
Q. People are already talking about you and Serena in the final here. It's early in the tournament. When they talk about that, they always talk about how your matches, you don't play as well against each other. When they talk about that, they always bring up your father, that he has something to do with this, arranging it or something. What is your feeling when you hear stuff like that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: All I can say is it's not true, and I'm insulted that anyone would make that suggestion.
Q. Do you think perhaps the fact that you are perceived to not play as well is because you're each so good and you know each other's game so well?
VENUS WILLIAMS: To be honest, I don't know much any more. All I know is that I give 100 percent when I go out on the court and Serena does also, and that's what makes us professional.
Q. You turned it up in the last game of the first set. How did you do that? Seemed like you were pretty erratic up till then. Then all of a sudden you hit some great serves and all of a sudden got on line?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Really I didn't want the match to become any more than what it should have been. I always felt that I want always to end the match on a positive note, and always trying to get better as the tournament progresses. So the tournament had progressed to the second set of the second round, and I wanted it to be better.
Q. Any thoughts of the wipe-out of the men's seeds yesterday?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Happens to the best of us.
6/25
V. WILLIAMS/J. O'Donoghue
6-1, 6-1
MODERATOR: Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen. Venus Williams. Can we take the first question, please.
Q. Are you aware of how many points your opponent got on your serve in the first set?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No.
Q. The answer is one. Do you want to talk about how well you were serving today.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Today was very good. I think that, you know, maybe it was a little tougher to return the serve because of the surface and because of the speed. She was standing in close. And also it was probably a thing of experience. Maybe she's never played a server like me before.
Q. I know you've said obviously you and your sister would love to play each other in the finals, as you did two of the last three Grand Slams. In between all the stuff that is written about you and your sister, do you pay much attention to it?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, normally I'm not reading. Sometimes, maybe after the tournament. But not really, not normally.
Q. Was it good to get that out of the way, bearing in mind it was British opposition, and also it was so smooth?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Actually, to be honest, she played very well. You could see she had a game plan when she came out. She planned to play aggressive and take all her opportunities, which I think she executed quite well.
But then, you know, I'm so comfortable on the grass. I served well. I was able to return well. I just have a lot more experience. I think that's really what counted because I'm quite used to players coming out and playing a hundred percent against me.
Q. You had some heavyweight support there in Lennox Lewis. What's that all about?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know, to be honest.
Q. Is he a friend of the family?
VENUS WILLIAMS: To be honest, I just met him today.
Q. Have you tried wearing these new tinted contact lenses to help see the ball better on a return?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I have not. I did get a pair, a trial pair. I let them sit in the sun before I wore them, so I was a little afraid to try them. I kind of forgot that I had them in my tennis bag. They just sat in the car a few days. So I thought maybe it's not a good idea for me to try them out.
I think I'd like to try them.
Q. Jane was saying she thinks she can make the breakthrough eventually by playing someone like yourself. Do you think she could make the breakthrough?
VENUS WILLIAMS: To be honest, I think she played really well. I think in order for her to get to the top hundred and make that breakthrough, she's going to have to keep playing the way she did today. I don't think she should be at all discouraged because, you know, I've had a lot more time and a lot more matches, not only at Wimbledon but a lot of other tournaments, to know exactly what I'm doing, what I'm going to do when I come on the court. I
think that was mainly what she was up against today.
But other than that, I think if she keeps playing like that, she'll definitely make a breakthrough, playing aggressive tennis. That's always the way to go, if you ask me.
Q. Do you think her serve was particularly good, because you seemed to have to raise your level a bit?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, her serve was very good, very solid. She had a few double-faults I guess at the wrong times. But that happens when you're younger. It happens to me still. So I think definitely, especially for the grass, she had a nice flat serve that comes in nice. I had to really stay down there and get the ball back.
But she did have a good serve.
Q. Are you surprised not to see more English women do well, considering how popular tennis is here?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. I never gave it much thought. But everyone loves the game here. I think that's what makes it especially at Wimbledon, is the English people really appreciate this tournament. When you first come, 1:00 on Monday, the court is packed. Centre Court, there is not a seat there. You don't see that at many other tournaments - I don't think any other tournaments.
Q. As many times as you've played an Centre Court, do you still get the same feeling walking out onto the court? Can you talk about that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, it's nice because it's not every match that I will get to play on Centre Court. You know, next they'll shuffle me over to Court 1 or Court 2, wherever I may end up. When I do get out there, I really enjoy the moment.
Normally I am playing hard and focusing. But I do try to just realize it is a competition, and I'm here to compete well, and still have a lot of fun at the same time.
Q. If you were asked to launch a two-nations event here on Friday. Have you been approached to help with any other British events or British tennis?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, not at all.
Q. Andre yesterday, of course he wasn't the defending champion, he was the one selected to play the first match on Centre Court. He said it was an honor. Do you feel going out there today, "Hey, I'm the defending champion." Was there a nice feeling about that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, last year it was a really nice feeling, that's for sure. This year I was extremely focused because I didn't think my practices were going as well as I wanted them to go the past few days. I didn't think I played that well at the French Open. I didn't have as much practice as I wanted between the French and Wimbledon.
When I came out this time, I was all business. I wasn't thinking about nostalgia or anything at all, except hitting the ball well.
Afterwards, when I walked off, that's when I kind of realized, "I'm coming back as the defending champion. I have the honor to play first on."
Q. Is it an advantage to you that players are overawed by the fact you're the two-time defending champion, you have that confidence about your game, you have the ability to back it up?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I can't exactly say that players are in awe of that, that I'm the two-time Champ. But it's nice to be a two-time champion, that's for sure. I'd like to make it three.
But I think there's something about the grass. I can play as fast as I want to, and I can do exactly what I want, what I will. I think that's what makes it so comfortable for me.
Q. You've taken to the grass very well. Do you remember your first match anywhere on grass? Most tennis players, they grow up on clay in Europe, America cement. Did you think the ball would bounce on grass? What was the reaction the first match you ever played?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Professional?
Q. Professional or anywhere.
VENUS WILLIAMS: First time I hit on grass, to be honest, I wanted to dive like Becker, I think. I don't think I did any diving. I wasn't brave enough.
Q. Are you traveling with your mom?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes.
Q. How is that different from when your dad is around?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Doesn't say as much. They just have two different approaches to coaching. They're both right, that's for sure - but two different people.
Q. In an interview, Jane talked about practicing her curtsy before the match. I was wondering if you could relate to that? Is that a self-conscious moment at all, even now?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, not at all really. I try to do my best on the court curtsy (laughter). I could imagine that would be one thing you could obsess over, maybe you'll fall during the curtsy, twist your ankle and be out of the match. Normally it doesn't happen.
Q. Who are you hitting with this week?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Serena, sometimes a hitting partner. Mostly Serena.
Q. How do you decide who comes, your mom or your dad? Is it something that you're looking for in particular at that point in your game, or they just kind of decide?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think they decide. Or if we have a special request, I guess we put it in. But normally I think maybe between Serena and I, we're both trying to mature with our games and not have to think, "If my mom or dad aren't there, we aren't going to do well."
I think we're both trying to get away from that mentality. We don't want any crutches for the rest of our life. 28 years old, "Mom, please come to the tournament. I can't deal with it without you".
Q. What would prompt a special request? Is it something that one would bring that the other one -- how they handle it?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes, yes. If I wanted to work with my mom or dad in particular, I would say what I'd like. And they wouldn't be bitter or resentful at all. I think they've gotten past those things after high school, you know.
Q. Would it be something like one drives you more, pushes you more, and you don't want that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. I would say maybe the big difference is that on the court my dad does a lot more coaching. Sometimes my mom can spend the whole session and she'll just sit, we do what we want. Other times she'll become more aggressive, so you never know which way it's going to be.
My dad will talk a little bit more off the court - roughly 10 or 15 minutes. My mom, normally we don't talk about tennis off the court.
Q. You're not superstitious having your dad here after winning the last two years?
VENUS WILLIAMS: A little bit. But I think at the French Open, that really helped a lot, to realize I didn't need my dad to win a Grand Slam, I could hopefully do it on my own. He set me up with the basics to make it happen.
Q. Have you been a bit offended by the comments that have been made by people like Pat Cash about your dad, having an unhealthy influence on yourself and your sister?
VENUS WILLIAMS: There's always going to be opinions. I think more than anything my dad's there when I need him, when I need to talk about anything, or if I need help with my game or anything at all - if I need to borrow his car, you know.
So I think until people -- until you can actually get to know my dad, then I think it's best not to make an opinion on anyone else until you know them and you can say, "This is my best friend."
Q. When you're at the top like that, do you expect now to get those criticisms from people?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Not really, because I didn't even see what anyone has said, to be honest. I've heard about things over the years, but I'm not keeping up with it.
Q. The other players are talking about when you're on your game, no one can beat you. With that kind of talk, it's kind of reminiscent of what Tiger Woods is doing with golf, where the rest of the field is looking for cracks. Sometimes they still can't win. Do you think about your place in history with tennis, look at whatever Navratilova was doing in the early '80s, the fact that the American women are now taking over women's tennis, what your place
is in that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't think about it every day, that's for sure. I just do my best to enjoy my game. If I become a big part of tennis history or not, it's not my main goal. It's just to do my personal best and to enjoy the game. For me, that's enough.
Q. You don't look at Martina's nine Wimbledon titles?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I know, that's an unbelievable achievement. I don't know if I could get that far, or even if I'd have the motivation or would stay around so long. Maybe I didn't start winning early enough either, so...
Roland Garros
June 8
S. WILLIAMS/V. Williams 7-5, 6-3
Q. On court, your sister said it was a bittersweet victory for her. What are your feelings when you're playing your sister? Just how difficult is it for you to try and shut out the fact that it is Serena on the other side of the net? How much more difficult does that make it?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Really not very different at all because obviously she's one of the best players in the world, so I have to put the full concentration into my game.
Q. You had won with Serena the doubles title here. This is a new step in your career even though you lost today, or you think you are going to try to win on all surfaces? You can try?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, definitely I'll have my opportunities. I'm still a little young, so I think that there will hopefully be chances for me to be through to the finals again.
Q. That probably wasn't one of your better serving days in a Grand Slam final. Did things pretty much fall apart because you couldn't seem to get rhythm on the serve?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I just think I just wasn't the best player today. Normally I think I had sometimes better appearances in my Grand Slam finals. But it's impossible to win all. So I've got to go for the next one.
Q. Your sister aside, being a sister aside, what makes her a tough opponent as compared to some other top players on tour?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I just think that with every player that you play normally in the Grand Slam, that they get better, because the better players get to the later rounds. It's just that when you're a top player, you just do everything a little bit better than the next player - you serve better, you move better, you fight better, just those kind of things. Serena does it better than the next player.
Q. Is there anything that's a particular strength of yours that, after you've played her now, may be different from Jennifer Capriati or Lindsay or anything?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Different?
Q. Yes.
VENUS WILLIAMS: No.
Q. No particular strength? Was today the start of a new career for you as photographer?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, my mom was in a bad position from behind, so I just did my best. Hopefully they'll come out.
Q. Do you think you were maybe suffering from a little bit of lack of tough competition coming into the final, whereas Serena had that really tough match from Jennifer? She seemed to feel that gave her some extra edge and momentum.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Not really. I think I played well to get to the finals. I think that she was just playing a little better. Kind of hope for the best next time.
Q. How disappointed are you? Are you also happy for your sister and disappointed by your loss? What are your feelings after this match?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I try not to be sad about my losses, every loss, when I lose, because I don't really want to concentrate on my loss, I want to concentrate on the future. I realize that tennis is just part of my life, it's just my work, and after this I go home and I live my real life, the real reality. And I'm happy for Serena because, you know, she hasn't won a Slam in a while. But then again, I also have to look at the areas where I have to improve in my game, to do better. So there's a lot of ways to look at it. But Serena won, so I can kind of like live through her and say that I won the French, too, because I beat her once, so that means maybe I could have won the French.
Q. You mention your mom. She's always emphasized what she's tried to teach you, that you're a normal human being, no better than anybody else, to remember where you come from. Could you talk about what your mom has given you in that way?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Really just realizing how fortunate I've been just with having a great family, my mom and my sisters. Just things like my mom, my dad always taught us, "When you shake someone's hand, shake it firm, it just shows character." Really, if they hadn't told me, that I just wouldn't know what to do. So I just think they've been there in my life and Serena's life, all my sisters' lives, and really guided to us where we are today. So without them, I wouldn't be here. I don't know what I'd be doing.
Q. She also said that except on the tennis court you always let your little sister get her way. Can you talk about that? Is that true?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. An example, she stole my toothpaste. I had no toothpaste. I was fighting for my life in the mornings and at night. So I'd have to go all the way to her room, get the toothpaste, put a little on my thumb, go back and brush my teeth. I didn't take the bottle back because I figure, "If I take it back, she won't have any." Just things like that.
Q. What about your studies in French? It's only a little detail for the public or are you going to go on seriously?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I do need to be more serious about it. But next year. Next year I'll do a little better, I hope.
Q. Can you just talk about the match, where you felt it got away from you? You were up a break in the first set.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, definitely I was down a break, played some tough games to get back, you know, into the match. It's just about taking opportunities. And I don't think I did. And they don't come that often in a Grand Slam or against a player like Serena. So I realize that I was getting a lot of chances that I didn't take. Normally I do a little better. But you have these days.
Q. Can you talk about her return of serve. She got on your second serve pretty well.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, she did. She did real well with that, especially on some of the more important points. But I think that's just how she plays.
Q. You had the backhand that hit the tape in the 10th game of the first set. If you would have made that shot, you would have had a set point. Can you talk about that moment, if you remember it at all?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I should have added more topspin or done something to get it over. I don't really remember, to be honest. I do remember a couple that hit the tape, and they wouldn't roll over. I just couldn't get that lucky break. You know, I guess I just should have done more to get it over the net.
Q. When you play Serena, do you sometimes think that the public are more conscious of the fact that they're watching two sisters play and feel the awkwardness more than the two of you do on the court?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm really not sure.
Q. But do you not sense maybe an atmosphere in the crowd of not being certain they can see what's going on, but wondering how difficult it is for you competing, being sisters, same family? It's difficult enough when two friends are playing or two people from the same country. But in your case, everything is combined, isn't it, sisters as well?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I just think that they probably don't know which one to root for, I guess everyone has their favorite player. But when it comes to me and Serena, probably people see us as the same.
Q. You obviously lost the match today. You must not feel too good about that. But your mom did say of the two of you, that you were the much better photographer. Does that make you feel good?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I try a little bit of photography. I read some manuals, so I know some of the basic things. But I guess I have to keep improving.
Q. You seemed to be struggling out there a little bit.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I've never used a manual camera. Hers is a manual. You have to wind it and focus it. So actually I got the hang of it real quick, but I had never used that model before.
Q. How much motivation does this loss give you for Wimbledon?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I can try to win Wimbledon again. The chances, I suppose, are good. But I still won't have the French. But I think I've done well. I think people also have realized that Serena and I, we do play well on all the surfaces. If they put us on the clay, it doesn't mean that we aren't going to show up that day.
Q. What are your plans for next week? Are you leaving right away, going back home?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, go home and fight and practice, I suppose. A few days before the Wimbledon starts; there's not much time for rest. We have to become focused. We've never been in this position before. We've normally lost a little earlier. Normally we have plenty of time to prepare for Wimbledon. Definitely a different experience (laughter).
Q. Serena and you have won six out of the last 10 Grand Slams. Is that good enough? Is it satisfactory?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It's been real nice. I think with everything we do on the tennis court we've done okay. I guess we can't ask for too much more.
Venus Williams Interview 56Kb|250Kb
June 6
V. WILLIAMS/C. Fernandez 6-1, 6-4
Q. Did you tremble a little bit on the brink?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. I never felt like I was going to lose the match, but I certainly didn't want to prolong it. But I did feel comfortable in the rallies. But just a few shots I missed here and there.
Q. She doesn't have too much experience in such a match. Is it disturbing for you to play such an opponent like this?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I think in her case it was difficult to come out there in the semifinals. It's never easy. I've been in the position where I've been in the finals for the first time, and I was really young. So I guess either you can come out and play really great or not so well. I think she's a good player and that she can be back, that she just has to build on this.
Q. For you to find your rhythm, is it more difficult when you don't have a lot of reason from her?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think sometimes I play -- today I guess was just a tough day with Serena's match going on first. I was watching a little too much of it. It was hard to really be calm in my match (laughter). I was too excited, too stressed maybe about hers.
Q. You and your sister wrote history by becoming 1 and 2 in the world. What does that mean?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, it's real nice. I guess I did read a couple times if Serena won the match, we would be 1 and 2. But I don't think we were even really thinking about that. We were just wanting to do so well for the French Open because we hadn't always done our best here, done as well as we thought we could do. But this makes it all the much more sweeter to be No. 1 and 2, and also to be in the final. We feel it's been a long way.
Q. What does it mean to you, the second time you play your sister in a Grand Slam, in a final? What do you expect?
VENUS WILLIAMS: She's been playing real well, intensity level, running well. She definitely had a tough match against Jennifer. I had a tough match against Monica. Then today to get through against a player I never played is also very good.
Q. One thing a lot of people forget is if you're No. 1 and 2 in the world, you're going to be the 1 and 2 seeds at tournaments, her coming out on the same side of the draw for you is over. That is a nice part of being 1 and 2?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, for sure. I think more than anything, though, it just means that we've reached the best of our profession, which is what we always have achieved to do, is to be the best at what we do because we take pride in what we do. Actually, I'd like to stay No. 1, but I'd like to see Serena No. 1 also. I'm not giving it up, but I'm sure she'll get there.
Q. What do you think of the fact you'll be playing this match on clay, which you haven't done before, might change the complexion of the match for the two of you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, we practiced a lot on clay at home. I guess we'll be running down a lot of balls.
Q. Is there any relief that your father's prediction has finally come true, it's over and done with? It's something that people in tennis have talked about for a long time.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Not really relief. I don't feel there was any stress. I mean, we live a great life, have great opportunities that most people don't have. So when I get out there and play my matches, most times I try to enjoy it because of that.
Q. Four or five years ago, when he first said it, did it annoy you? Did you think he was right? Pressure on you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Sure, I thought he was right because I believe in my dad, and my mom.
Q. Was it your first wave here when people are standing? Is that the first time it's happened here to you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think. I don't remember another time.
Q. Is it disturbing? Is it nice?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, to me, I can play with it noisy or not noisy. As long as I can see the ball, I can play the game (laughter).
Q. What have you found has worked best with your game on clay since you've improved this year very much? What has worked for you, which shots?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Just taking my time, really just moving in when I can, really just cutting back on the unforced errors. I've just had a really great experience here at the French this year.
Q. Did you feel you had something to prove?
VENUS WILLIAMS: For me, to myself, sure. I wanted to do better here because I was starting to think that I had maybe a jinx at this tournament. There's always some tournaments on the tour where you always lose. There's a few besides the French where I never can seem to get past the first or second round. I didn't want this tournament to become one of those. Also the Australian Open, so I'm still crossing my fingers for that one.
Q. Of course, Jennifer had a tough loss this afternoon. When she did come into the press room, she said you and Serena would not have been No. 1 and 2 without some careful planning, meaning not playing each other, and it probably might not have happened if the other girls had been healthy. Could you please comment on those two comments?
VENUS WILLIAMS: What was the comment?
Q. The comment was you would not have been -- you and Serena would not have been No. 1 and 2 if there had not been some careful planning, in other words, not playing against each other; and, secondly, the two of you wouldn't be 1 and 2 if the other girls, presumably Hingis and Davenport, were healthy.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, actually, I miss playing Hingis. I just played Hingis. But I miss playing Lindsay.
Q. Do you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes. She suits my game. We get out there, we just hit the ball. And it is just great tennis. You know, I hope she comes back. It's never fun to be injured. You know, I hope Martina recovers from her surgery, too, because it is different without them. It makes it more interesting when they're in the mix.
Q. Aside from missing them, do you think there's truth in what Jennifer was saying in terms of you and Serena maybe not being No. 1 and 2 if the other girls were there and if you had played each other more?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, it's hard to say "what if," "what would have happened." Those are all different variables that fed in.
Q. Is there any reason that the match on Saturday won't be a bust? Do you think it will gradually get better each time you play each other more times?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know.
Q. Do you agree they've been maybe a little anti-climactic and disappointing so far in terms of excitement for the fans and stuff?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't think so. I think we always can play better. But we've always done our best when we walk out on the court every time.
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6/4/02
V. WILLIAMS/M. Seles 6-4, 6-3
Q. Winning in straight sets, was the match easier than you expected?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I did expect to play maybe a few longer points. Monica, just like me, we're both looking to end the point and play aggressive. So I wasn't looking for three-hour rallies either.
Q. Your first semifinal at the French. Have you worked on a specific clay court game or did you always know this would just happen anyway?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, for sure, I've always felt I had the groundstrokes and the speed to play well here; it just hasn't happened yet. But now I'm a little older, a little wiser, I hope. I think more than anything I'm just not trying to hit every ball so hard, just keep some in play, move it around, hope for the best.
Q. Have you worked on sliding or anything specifically?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I haven't. But I just slide a little bit when I have to (smiling).
Q. Have you had any advice on sliding from anybody? Is there any special technique you have to use, anything different after playing so much on hard courts?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. I used to practice on clay a lot when I was younger, so I do know how to slide. Whether I decide to do it is another thing. More than anything, I do enjoy stepping into the ball, if I can.
Q. How big of a win is this for you? She got you in Australia.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think definitely this was one of the best quarterfinals out of all the ladies' quarterfinals, probably the most interesting match. I felt if I could just play a little better than what I did in Australia, I could hopefully get the win. I don't think she played her best today. Maybe she felt a little rushed, I'm not sure.
Q. The last time you were in the quarters here wasn't a very good day for you. Talk about your progress as a player.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, that was tough. You know, I was just coming back from injury. It was all I could do just to keep the ball on the court. Playing Arantxa didn't make it much better. Two years from that point. Different times for sure.
Q. And confidence-wise, how much more confident were you today going out on the court than you were then?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I was confident back then, but I just couldn't, you know, make the ball do what I wanted it to do at that point. Now, more or less, I'm not as rusty as I was then.
Q. At the beginning of the tournament there's this whole draw, I know that even now you're just looking to your next match, but you're aware it's sort of down to a final group.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. What happens is that the lunch lines are not as long, locker rooms not as busy, the massage schedule opens up, things like that. The practice court schedule, get in a little easier. This is the privilege of sticking around, really fighting to this last part of the week.
Q. How about mentally, how does it affect you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: More than anything, I get even more serious and focused. I become a different person. So I can kind of feel that happening now. I just try to lay low.
Q. You become a different person?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes, not Venus.
Q. What does Serena become?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Serena (with French accent). I don't know, you have to ask her.
Q. Do you refer to each other as such now?
VENUS WILLIAMS: We should, to get mentally in that position. That's a good idea.
Q. In the court there was obviously more cheering for Monica than for you. Does it bother you at that moment?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I actually subconsciously did hear it. But, really, I was just so focused on playing well, keeping balls in play, fighting for each point. Personally, I don't really hear it that much. But I do realize she is a crowd favorite, she's had great results here, played great matches here. I remember the matches she played, too, 9 and 10. I remember those times, too. They do, too.
Q. The next match is the surprise of the women's singles here. Have you played her? Do you know much about her?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, no, this is definitely a great tournament for her. Get her up in the rankings, give her the opportunity to play a lot of the higher-level events, give her the opportunity to get in there and compete. So this is nice for her. Also, I think that I'll have to walk out there and play well, like always. Somewhat like when I played Justine in the finals of Wimbledon. You play someone, they have nothing to
lose, so it makes it a little bit more difficult. But also I have a smaller advantage with the experience.
Q. You knew Justine, didn't you, when you played her at Wimbledon?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, sure. I've seen Clarisa play. I think she's playing well. Of course, you have to get to the semifinals. But I'll play well also.
Q. I'd like to go back to this whole issue of Venus and Venus. Can you see one difference in the character or personality of these two different players?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, that's at the French I become Venus. This happened this year. I don't know what happened the other years. It only happens once you hit the semifinals (laughter). Now it's getting too crazy. We should move on.
Q. Is the French Venus nicer?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Actually, no, you can't talk to her that much because she's so serious and hardly ever leaves her hotel room, only to eat. If she can, she'll have her food brought to her. She just reads books, concentrates. You can't get her to smile that much. That's Venus.
Q. Do you have a hard time resisting the nice parts, like a lot of us do, Paris, going out, seeing all the sights, going to the restaurants? Is it pretty tempting?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Not really because I do a lot of studying when I'm off the court. I have like work to do.
Q. Would this be your biggest challenge now, to win Roland Garros?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I just think I'd love to do well here. I'd love to win. Especially being so close, in the semifinals, it's a great opportunity. But I'm not going to put any more pressure on myself than what I should. All I expect from me is to get out there and compete, play my best. Whatever result comes is what comes. But I always do expect to play well.
Q. What are you studying?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, right now I study interior design.
Q. Still interior design?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes. Correspondence courses.
Q. Not cutlery?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Maybe I'll get to that part, but that's part of the accessories. Hope you don't have to study too much about that. I don't know.
Q. Does that appeal to you more, the designing of clothes?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Fashion design?
Q. Yes.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Interior design is something that I could possibly do more of now because with fashion design, it's such a competitive business. Interior design is also, but at least I could open my own firm at home and watch over it. Whereas, fashion, you have your factories all over the world, this, that, shipping. I couldn't handle all of that - not right now. But I just love all the arts. I love administration, too.
Q. Have you seen Venus de Milo?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes. At the Louvre.
Q. Did they pose you with her?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. Come on. They do have the replicas for sale there. I guess they're plastic. I'm not sure what they are.
Q. Would winning here mean more to you than picking up another Grand Slam? Because it's clay, would it mean more about your game?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think everybody out there, maybe the writers, all the fans would think, "Wow, Venus is a clay court player." More than anything, it would mean a lot to me. I feel as if I'm a clay court player. I'll play on anything.
Q. You said more than anything it would mean a lot to you. How come?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Because I haven't always had the best result here. Also the Australian Open would mean a lot to me, if I could win there.
Q. You started the press conference saying you were a little older and a little wiser. Could you comment on that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, because just when you start feeling arthritis in your back, you know you have all the knowledge here (pointing to her head). Every morning I wake up a little stiff, my feet and back are sore, I can tell, yes, I'm a little wiser.
Q. Are you saying you have arthritis - or you're just a little bit sore? You're not saying you have an arthritic condition in your back?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. I don't think I played so many long matches to be sore. I'm just joking. Actually, I come from a family of jokers. My dad, me, Serena, my brother, we just joke all day.
Q. When did you first realize "I am a clay court player," but others didn't recognize it?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Always have been. I can play a longer point, I suppose. I move okay. Have a few titles. For me, doesn't matter what I play on.
V. WILLIAMS/C. Rubin 6-3, 6-2
Q. A long time since we've seen Chanda Rubin out on the court. Was it good to see her out on the court, as well?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, yeah, for sure. She had a great result last week -- or in the last tournament, getting to the finals, and here the fourth round. I think coming out of injury, that's really, really amazing. When I went out there, I was trying to be serious because I know her record at the French and also against top players, and also because she has such good results so quickly.
Q. You didn't expect an easy match against her, in spite of the court?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, not at all. I definitely was concentrating on every point because she's known for her comebacks.
Q. The next game is Monica Seles. What do you think about that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: We played in the quarterfinals of the Australian. I just hope to play better than what I did in that match.
Q. Is it difficult for you to play the left-handers?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. All the same.
Q. Not at all?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No.
Q. Was today's opponent the kind of opponent that is especially good for you to play, someone that hits flat strokes, balls coming in your strike zone most of the time, instead of those slicers and dicers, topspiners out there?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I guess it was nice to play someone who is just as interested in playing as quick a point as I am. That's nice. There are some players who -- doesn't seem like they even look to end a point ever. So that was nice because I knew that I would have to do something aggressive and play a good shot before she did.
Q. Strangely, of all these years of playing Monica, this is the first time you've played her on clay. Will it change the personality of the match, do you think?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think whatever surface I play Monica on, I'm going to have to play well.
Q. Do you feel you change your game on clay a lot in terms of how you construct the points, how you approach it?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I definitely put more power on the ball today than what I have in all of my matches. In the other first three, I didn't hit very hard. Just moved the ball around some, then go for a winner when I was ready. Today I realized I was playing a player where I would have to put more pressure on her before she put it on me.
Q. When you're playing points, do you sense this is a place, on clay, you're going to hit the shot differently with a different trajectory or try to use the surface to your advantage in a way you weren't doing a couple years ago?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I always try to at least think that I'm smarter and better. If I'm not, find out why I'm not. Really, I just expect to play more balls, that's all.
Q. How do you rate Monica's serve?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Definitely one of the best in the game. There's a lot of players out there who are happy to get the ball in play on the return. Monica is definitely going for each shot. That's what makes a great return.
Q. Do you have an interest in following the World Cup?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I watch mostly the tennis. I don't really think I understand the rules of soccer, so that makes it more difficult to watch.
Q. Jelena Dokic. What do you think about her?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think she's a very good player. Actually, she's one of my favorite players to play. I don't know why, I just like to play against her game.
Q. What do you think how far she can go on the list?
VENUS WILLIAMS: She's definitely doing well. She's had a few injuries this year. That always makes it tough. But she gets out there, she plays hard every point, no matter which one. That's what I admire about her.
Q. Could you tell me your opinion about Serena's dress, this football dress?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It's definitely fashion forward.
Q. Would you design something like this?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I hope so. It's very creative.
V. WILLIAMS/R. Grande 6-1, 6-4
Q. Pretty strong effort with the exception of that little blip toward the end of the second set. If we were in the second week of this tournament, where the players are getting stronger, competition is heavier. In your opinion, is your second serve strong enough right now to get to the final of this tournament?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Definitely, I think my second serve is doing very well. I have very few double-faults. I think my average is like 132, 130, 134.
Q. So you're serving for it at 5-2, you go on this little loss of concentration. You've been playing almost perfect up till then. Take me through what happened there.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I just committed a few unforced errors. It only takes a few before, you know, those games are not on your side. But I felt okay going into the 5-4 game because I was serving pretty good, pretty strong. I didn't feel the amount of pressure that she was going to hit winners on me, because her game is not a power game, it's more finesse and placement.
Q. What's working for you on court and what's not?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Really I'd just like to keep improving on my technique and my footwork and my movement, of course my serve and my return - if I can just keep improving. I'm just doing my best not to power myself out of any matches (smiling).
Q. Have you hit your forehand better at any time than you have the last couple months? Today I think you had eight winners down the line, cross-court. Seems like it's become a real weapon.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes, at times it's my best friend. I'd like to think that.
Q. As usual, you're cruising through the first week. Even that second set you were up 5-1. Are you happy playing like this or do you wish you had earlier round matches that lasted longer than 50 minutes?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Normally I do play I think longer matches in the first rounds, but this week has been nice - especially coming off of injuries. But nice not to be on the court too long. I think more than anything on the clay court, anything can happen, especially at this tournament. So if you can just shut your opponents out, just keep it not too noisy on the court, not too many mistakes, so that way you don't find yourself in a situation that you feel is out of your control.
Q. These days what gives you the most joy in playing tennis, just playing the game?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. Actually, I've been having a nice time practicing these days. I've been enjoying my practices. Sometimes I'm a little lazy as of late because after so many years of practice, it can get a little boring at times. I've been working on a few things, just trying to keep it interesting.
Q. How do you keep it interesting?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, it's been nice because -- normally you go home and practice the same place every day with the same people. I've had different hitting partners, different challenges, different places to hit, so it's been nice.
Q. And your sister, of course, came out in the colors of Cameroon. If Reebok said to you, "We want you to come out with the colors of an American team, could be basketball, football, baseball, anything you want, college, pro, what team colors would you choose?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know, because I don't know much about sports outside of tennis.
Q. Not even local high school, nothing?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I don't.
Q. You have four Slam titles. During those runs, you've talked about good feelings, special feelings, at Wimbledon and the US Open. So here do you have any of that inkling, "Boy, if I continue to play well, I can actually get deep into this tournament"?
VENUS WILLIAMS: For sure. I think more than anything, even if I'm not playing well or I don't feel I'm giving my best - not giving my best, but doing my best, at least if I can just play the big points well, that's what really counts. Just have enough courage to step up and not look back, that's what I'm looking forward to doing as the later rounds progress.
Q. You were talking about not letting the crowd into the match before, not making mistakes.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Not too much noise. Noise as far as...
Q. Whistling?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, interruption. Maybe just a word I use "noise." Not with the people, but just with yourself, the person.
Q. Can you tell us about the honorary degree, your thoughts on that, how it came about?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I found out about it last year, so I made, for sure, an opportunity in my schedule so I could be there because I've worked so hard to get a degree. I haven't gotten one yet. This is all that I can get. It meant so much to me. It's actually at Howard UniversityThat's where my two older sisters went. It was real nice because that's just one thing in my life. Of course, I have lots of great things going on, but that's just one part that I won't really get to live. So it was nice to be there and actually see students, people that I want to be like - as opposed to maybe people that would like to be like me, but I wanted to be like them. So it was nice.
Q. What was your thinking in that atmosphere?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I just -- I felt it was really an honor to be there, for sure, a school would feel so intent on giving me a degree or a citation, that was nice. Hopefully I get there one day on my own.
Q. You said a while ago if it weren't for your father, you would probably be a college student now. You seemed to say it with a tone of you were fortunate not to go that route. Can you imagine yourself going that route?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I speak to a lot of people. Some of the greatest years of their lives. I think surely I'd be a struggling college student, fighting for the next Cup of Noodles. At least I can fight for the next fillet mignon here.
Q. Your dad also said years ago that you and Serena would be 1 and 2. People dismissed that fairly much out of the blocks. Now that you're 2 and 3, do you think there's a shot you'll actually achieve that in the coming months?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think it's a great possibility, for sure. It's what we work for, just to be the best in the world, to do our personal best. I think at this point we're getting close to being our personal best.
Q. If that occurred, what would that say about you and your family?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I just think we worked hard, we believed in what we were doing. More than thinking, we had a fun time along the way.
Q. You travel a lot all around. Did you ever think about learning some other languages, and which one?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I've tried everything, but not everything has worked out the way I'd like. I'm sure one day I'll speak hopefully a few languages.
Q. How different of a player are you now than when you first came here ? Lost to Tauziat. You talked about, "Can't learn to slide on this stuff."
VENUS WILLIAMS: Actually, I didn't want to slide on it is probably the problem. It was hard. My first Slam, I just didn't know what I was doing, to be honest. As a result, I lost in the second round. I've had some tough results here also.
Q. Now do you want to slide? Do you like the sliding?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I do. It's something that you most certainly have to practice. If I try to slide, and I haven't been sliding in practice, then I miss. So now I've been sliding in practice. If I don't have to slide, I don't. I feel that the slide takes more time. If I can just step into it, that's all the earlier I can take the ball.
Q. Your side of the draw opened up a little bit with Clijsters losing. With both Belgians out and Martina not playing, are you thinking this could be an awful nice opportunity for you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: What's really important to me is the fourth round I'm in now. If I can just get to the quarterfinals, I'll be happy. After that, I'm going to move on to the semis, I hope (laughter). At this point I can't tell the future. No matter who you play in this tournament, it can be weird, it can be difficult. You never know. I'm just banking on moving on to the next round.
Q. In the last couple of days, Lleyton Hewitt has been saying he just needs to get through these first couple days to get himself into the second week, then everything changes. Is that how you see an event like this?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It's a good idea (smiling).
Q. I want to ask you specifically about the security here in Roland Garros. Have you noticed the security strengthened than in other previous editions? Do you think it should be stronger?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think it's always been very good here since I first came. I don't see where they would really need to make any improvements. They're always willing to give you as much help as you want. The other day I went to the Roland Garros shops, I had two guards helping me so I could pick a couple souvenirs. That was nice.
Q. You didn't notice any difference from previous editions here?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. I always thought it was very tight. The other day I forgot my pass. I had to show my passport so the guy would believe that it was me.
Q. Yesterday Serena gave us the scoop, the shocking news, that your tennis newsletter, Tennis Recap, had gone out of business. We were stunned by that. What happened?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, Lord. We went to school. I got that tendonitis, I couldn't type anymore. We were always at least two weeks beyond the printing date (laughter). It was fun while it lasted. I don't know. We should hire someone to type for us.
Q. Going through all that, does that give you any more sympathy for us and what we do?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I've always admired your work because in writing class I had to work so hard. I always thought I did pretty good. But the teachers always found something wrong with my essays.
Q. What was wrong?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. I don't know anymore. All I know is I don't have to take any more writing classes. I'm through.
Day 1 at Roland Garros 2002
Q. Not your best tennis, but you managed to get through, which has to feel pretty good.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Definitely played really good in the first four games. I think my first serve percentage was really down, but my second serve just kept going in, so that was nice.
Q. How is the wrist? Are you feeling any pain at all?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, it was a little tough this morning because it's so cold. It's hard to warm up. But once I get going, I seem to do okay.
Q. What sort of things have you been doing to kind of keep the wrist in shape?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Really not too much practice, and ice. Off the court normally I wear a brace. Not the day I saw you, I forgot about that day (laughter). I would have been in trouble. It kind of reminds me not to do things with the right hand, to lift things and pull things. It's there for a reason.
Q. You got rid of the suitcase, have you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No more of that. I got a better bag to carry my computer in. I'm going to pack lighter (laughter). I have a pulley now instead of all that other stuff.
Q. Is this related at all to the tendonitis or something different?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, no, I think I'm doing much better with the tendonitis. If anything, it's something that gets sore every now and then.
Q. Is there a time scale you've been given by your medical guys, how long this might be like it is? Is it something you're going to have to live with for a while?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I hope not. I don't think so. I think once I get an opportunity just to rest it and really not have to go hard on it, I can heal completely.
Q. What do they say for this tournament? Do they think it can last without a lot of pain if you have to go seven matches?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I wouldn't be able to tell you which shots are tougher for me on the wrist, but...I think as long as I keep my practice down, don't push myself, hopefully keep the number of sets down. That's not a guarantee.
Q. What's going to be the key for you this year?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I just think that I have to play well, just like any other place, be willing to compete on every point.
Q. Do you and Serena talk at all about your lack of success here? You're great at US Open, great at Wimbledon, not too good at the Australian Open, not nearly what you should be up to here.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think it's attributed to our slow starts in the year. But this year's been okay for me. It's been a pretty good start - might have best start ever. I'd like to keep it rolling until the end of this tournament, I guess. But normally, like last year, I didn't get started doing pretty good until Wimbledon. So I think this year -- plus, I didn't have as many classes in the fall. Normally I had six classes. This to time I
only had two, that helped a lot. I had time to practice. I think that will help a lot. That has helped a lot going into this year.
Q. What do you think the key is to great clay court tennis?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think patience, running a lot of balls down, getting a little lucky. Really just playing the ball and playing the court, really understanding the game, how to move the ball around, move your opponent around, take advantage. Really it's a lot of fun, clay court tennis. Sometimes it can be tough if things aren't going your way, you have a bad day.
Q. You seemed willing to come in a lot today. Are you going to continue that in the tournament?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I definitely think so because if you don't, you can end up playing five or six more balls, losing the point. I'd rather at least lose it knowing I'd done the right thing than losing it not stepping up to bat.
Q. Is there a reason behind maybe cutting your class schedule from six to two? Is it something you just felt like you wanted to do, take it easier this year?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Those are the only courses I could take. All the rest were prerequisites. Happened for a reason.
Q. Which ones?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Pattern details, manipulating patterns, changing just a regular scoop neck to a V-neck. I never could do it right (laughter). I always made mistakes. I had computer design. I don't remember the name of the class. Actually, it was just doing layouts and presentations, designing clothes on the computer.
Q. Do you like that one better?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I like that one much better . Of course, you have to know how to manipulate patterns. But, yeah, I'm lazy. I like to click on the computer and get it done like that (smiling). I suppose I won't be a couturier.
Q. These two classes, when were they?
VENUS WILLIAMS: When was I taking them?
Q. Yes.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I started in October. I ended December. It's 11 weeks. I had to go to a school on the quarter system because it's less time for me. It's more intense, but it means I can start in October instead of September or August.
Q. How do you feel about The Championships being in LA? Is that something you're going to try to fit into your schedule?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Sure, I'd love to go. I have a lot of family out there. It's where I'll be that week.
Hamburg , Germany
05/05/02
Clijsters versus Williams 1:6 6:3 6:4
Q: You played her just once. What would you say was the difference today?
A: I think she definitely played a lot better today than last time, but I expect all players to play better every time. She made a lot of great improvements, but she has a great base to build on.
Q: You had a quick great start.
A: I think I hit a lot of great shots in the beginning and it’s difficult to always keep hitting those kind of shots. She played consistent tennis, kept the ball in play and I think most of the time I was going for my shots. They didn’t always go in.
Q: What went through your mind in the third set when you lost your serve? You seemed to loose your rhythm completely.
A: Yes, I think I was rushing too much to be honest, so I had to slow myself down, but time started to go a little faster against me. I think that’s what happened.
Q: I know you won’t want to take away the credit from your oponent, but were you comfortable with your movement?
A: It was O.K. I’m sure glad to have the next week off to go home and take a break. But, I think she played well.
Q: Do you find it more demanding on clay, physically?
A: For sure, you have to play longer points. Physically you need to be in good shape, but other than that, if you can hit a few balls, it’s to your advantage.
Q: Before the tournament it was said that the only player who actually could beat you were yoursel. So, what happened today?
A: I definitely think she played great tennis. She served well and moved well and was determined. I guess that’s what counted in the end.
Q: You said she had a great base to build from. What did you mean by that in detail?
A: Just sometimes it’s difficult to build on a game if you have bad techniques from the very beginning from the core. And I think she has good techniques, so you can always do better with those kind of techniques.
Q: Is she a threat of getting to the No. 1 position?
A: I don’t know. I can answer for the next person. I guess she could.
Q: How good is she at the moment?
A: I think she is a very good player, for sure. She’s only 18 or so. When I was 18, I was having fun (laughs).
Q: Can you win a Grand Slam on clay?
A: I think so. I think I have to play better than what I did today and serve a lot better. My first serve was sitting so low, it was hard to move on the second serve. I think that’s a lot of what did me in today. I was having to hit second serves. So, I’m going home to work on that. But other than that, I’m o.k. It will work out. It’ll be o.k.
Q: Would you agree that the competitiveness in women’s tennis is very strong at the moment?
A: There are definitely a lot of great players on the tour. It makes it interesting.
Q: When you go home, how much time do you think you will spend resting and how much will you spend for homework?
A: I just take a day to rest and go back at it again.
Q: That doesn’t seem a lot?
A: Well, it’s all I need.
Q: Are you still planning to come back next year and bring some sun back?
A: Yes, I’m hoping to come back and I’ll try and bring a little sun from Miami.
Q: Am I right that exactly this time last year you went back home, and came back for the French, but Serena is staying? Why do you think differently on your schedules?
A: I have to go back. I have something to do. It’s something I have to do, otherwise I’d probably stay and play next week.
Q: It’s not to do with your tennis, but with your other commitments?
A: Yes, for sure.
Amelia Island 2002
Nasdaq 2002
V. WILLIAMS/E. Dementieva
5-7, 6-3, 6-2
An Interview With:Venus Williams
THE MODERATOR: First questions for Venus, please.
Q. Yesterday you said you went for everything and it was just your day. Today did you take that attitude on the court in the first set and then change your attitude after that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. I just -- you win some points and you lose some points. In the end I won more than I lost.
Q. Were you trying to move things around in that third set when the weather changed?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I never really felt that I was going to lose today. So moving along to 7-5, 7-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1, whatever it took for me.
Q. Were you trying to get it over before it would start to rain?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I didn't think it was going to rain.
Q. How do you feel overall about the way you played today in your game?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I feel okay. I think I could have done a lot better. But a lot of times you have some days that aren't your best days, and what counts is that you get the best out of yourself that you can on that day.
Q. You said you recall struggling against Elena, I guess, the second sets and doing well the first set. Today it was kind of different.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Uh-huh. Well, theoretically I should have won the first set. I was up a break. I had so many opportunities and I just couldn't do anything that made a lot of sense. She kept putting the pressure on, and before I knew it, the first set was finished.
Q. But you did very well on your break points.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I did?
Q. Yeah. Percentage-wise. She got 4 of 14. You had 6 of 9.
VENUS WILLIAMS: My word. I didn't know it was that crazy out there.
Q. Did you consciously change your game to maybe not go for the lines in the second set? Because you were erratic in the first set.
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. Really, more than anything I just had to cut down the errors. That's not a way to win a match, is unforced errors. I think she played well. She kept bringing balls back, kept running balls down, returning them with power. I always had to find an answer for that.
Q. She said she wanted to go right at you, take away the angles. Did that bother you the first set?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, nothing bothers me.
Q. You said before even if you're not playing well you manage to find a way to win it. Is that what kind of started to make a difference between you being a champion like at Wimbledon and the US Open, and before - that you learned how to do that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think anyone can win on a bad day, but also you've got to know how to win the big matches and step it up, accept your responsibility, get out there and compete. Once you can do that, you're a champ I guess.
Q. How concerned are you about your serve, you had ten doubles today. Do you feel that's an area you need to improve?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, yeah, I saw the numbers were getting up there. But I think I'll do better. I always do, as the tournament goes on.
Q. Is it fair to say you have a brooding interest in tonight's match?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, yeah, I want Serena to win. I'm biased.
Q. Obviously, you've been down this road before. In fact, at this tournament. If she does make it to the semis, is it any different this time around?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I always want Serena to win. She always wants me to win. We always want the best for each other. So, it's the same.
Q. Have the two of you played enough against each other that to play her again is just another match for you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, it's just a match on the way in the tournament.
Q. After the US Open final, a bunch of us were talking to your mom in the player lounge. She kind of intimated that Serena was still a little too nervous and basically said, "It's the sibling thing, that's always how it's been with them." Do you think Serena's ready to overcome that? Are you hoping she isn't?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Serena hates to lose, no matter who it's to. So I don't think she gave me any matches.
Q. No, I wasn't -- but just because younger sisters tend to be nervous. They feel like they...
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I suppose it's a complex. But I don't think it's one for Serena.
Q. What stands out in your memories of the US Open final when you think back to it?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I never thought back to it. I moved on.
Q. Not a highlight for you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Sure, I love winning - especially Grand Slams. But I like the Wimbledon more. That was more memorable for this year - last year.
Q. You haven't lost here in your last three tournaments. Do you feel like you own this arena?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Sometimes. Not always. When things are going my way, it feels great.
Q. What is it about this place? Do you feel extra comfortable here?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I guess I've just picked one tournament that I'm going to win always. It just happens to be this one (laughing).
Q. We kind of look at you as the older sister to Serena. In your family order, you've actually got a few older sisters. Did you ever have those jitters or nerves playing Candyland or whatever against your three older sisters, because they had the edge because they were all older? Did you feel that with them?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. No.
Q. Did you ever beat them?
VENUS WILLIAMS: In what?
Q. Anything. Candyland, cards.
VENUS WILLIAMS: We always lost and broke our pieces to the game. We didn't have it long enough to enjoy it (laughing).
Q. Who was a sore loser?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Serena.
Q. Is she still?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I don't think -- she just hates to lose. She's the ultimate competitor.
Q. Will you, indeed, stick around tonight?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. I like to watch the matches. It's rare that I get to see them. Especially in the beginning when we first started on tour, I was always playing the matches. So when she started playing, for me it was fun to watch them.
Q. Would you ever, tonight, when you're watching, think of her match in terms of you perhaps meeting her? Or you know how she plays so well you'd never think like that, as far as strategy, what you would do? You wouldn't think like that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I go into a strategy in each match. If you don't plan, it's most likely you'll fail. So no matter who I'm playing, I'm going to have a strategy. I hope (laughing).
Q. Are we going to see a lot of signs from dad if this does happen?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think he -- I don't think so.
Q. I didn't see him in the third set.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think he likes his camera the most now.
Q. What does he do with the pictures?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know.
Q. Hasn't shown you any?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I've seen some. He gives me some copies.
Q. Could you hear him shout out to you today? He was yelling a lot of stuff out there.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Sometimes. But just with all the people shouting, it's hard to pick out a voice.
Q. How do you think the fans are here? Do you feel like you're well-supported here?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think that they want to see a good match. But at times, like in my first matches I played, I felt a lot of support. Today I thought it was pretty even.
3/23/02
V. WILLIAMS/E. Dyrberg
4-6, 6-2, 6-1
An Interview With:
VENUS WILLIAMS
THE MODERATOR: Questions for Venus, please.
Q. Kind of tight early on, huh?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Uh-huh.
Q. First set, kind of off your groove?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I didn't really feel particularly off or anything. I just felt that she was playing good tennis, and I felt I was playing okay, too, but just on some of the key points I was missing my shots. That doesn't bring in a win. So I had to tighten it up throughout the second and the third.
Q. Did the rain postponement change anything as far as your focus?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think probably I would have played a little better today because last night I'm sure I would have been tired, a little bit out of focus from just sitting around.
It was a little bit disappointing also to have to wait to the next day to play. This was supposed to be my day off..
Q. What would you have done on your day off?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Would have hit the beach. I live in Florida but I never get to the beach. It's disappointing. So when I'm at a tournament, I actually relax a lot more than I do at home. It's my turn to be lazy..
Q. Before you went on court, you saw your dog. Your dog had a new haircut. You didn't look too happy. Did that distract you at all?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Bob distracted me. Little Yorkie, he just got his hair cut. He was stinky. I think he's happy now. He's probably happy..
Q. How did you feel about your play today?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I thought I played well. For once I was pretty happy because I did the things that we were working on in practice, so I was happy about that part. And, you know, in the first round, I haven't played in a few weeks, it can be tough to get your rhythm..
Q. Did you feel like you worked into it a little bit and played better as the match went along?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think that I played better. I played smarter. Also she's a very good player. She moves well and she blocks back my power shots, where I would have to hit three or four good shots instead of just one..
Q. How about your serve? How did you feel about it?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I felt okay with my serve. I served better than I thought I would because I haven't been practicing my serve at all hardly..
Q. You hit one that actually landed in front of the net there. What happened on that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Too much spin. When I try to put too much spin and come down on it, the results are devastating for me (laughing)..
Q. Can you talk about what it was like yesterday afternoon when you can see that first the clouds are coming, and you can tell that there's going to be a storm, then it starts raining and you think it might stop. Then it starts pouring. You have to have a pretty good idea there's no way you're going to play. How does that work on you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I won Wimbledon twice, so I'm used to it. I'm used to the rain. It's not a problem for me. But really I would have preferred to play yesterday..
Q. You mentioned the challenge of playing in your opening match and working your way into the tournament. Can you talk about that a little bit more and the hazards there. We saw Roddick lose yesterday, and how it's difficult to get going sometimes.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, if you haven't played in a couple weeks, at times you can be a little bit rusty. Can't get your feet to move no matter how much you beg them. Today I did okay as far as getting myself back into the match..
Q. There's some folks that say this is your house, Venus' house, if it were yours, how would you decorate it?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Green's my favorite color. I wouldn't change it..
Q. I know you've got the OWL Foundation coming up. We hear so much about your father. Tell us about your mother, the contributions she's made to the family and to you tennis -wise.
VENUS WILLIAMS: My mom's a great person. She doesn't talk much. She's an introvert. But if you get to know her, she's really funny..
Q. One last question, your dad's told me many times he thought you'd be terrific in broadcast. They've got the tennis channel coming up. Would you like to be involved with that at all?
VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, once I did do a commentating on Serena's match. I was really unhappy with the results so I don't know if I have a career. I guess I'd better keep the tennis up.
.
Q. How good do you feel that channel will be for our game?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I've heard a little bit about it but I don't know very much about what it's going to do.
3/21/02
THE MODERATOR: First question for Venus, please.
Q. Why did you decide to forego Fed Cup this year?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well... I don't think I've decided yet, have I?
Q. I thought the team was announced today.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Was it? Okay. Sorry.
You know, I think that at this point, is Monica playing and Jennifer? Who's playing?
Q. Monica and Jennifer.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think that -- I think it was a great team, and I think Billie felt that maybe she would need Serena and I in the summer.
Q. Wasn't your choice not to play?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I was 50/50 because I was playing here and in another tournament. Believe it or not, I have a few things going on in my life and I needed to be at home, too.
Q. Is this a match by match decision?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Not to play Fed Cup?
Q. Yeah.
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I love Fed Cup.
Q. But there will be other opportunities this year?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. Uh-huh (smiling).
Q. And you haven't ruled those out?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, not at all.
Q. Had you told her you would play if she wanted you to? Or you never even got that far?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I never actually spoke to her. Serena did, I think Serena got the chance to. But I never had the chance to.
Q. What were you doing last week in terms of keeping yourself busy for this tournament? Were you doing extra work?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Just practicing. Not too much extra work. Basically, I made a full recovery from the first part of the year. That was a miracle in itself.
Q. Can you elaborate on that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, it was just very tough and I was very tired. I had so much tennis, it was a lot of tennis. So, now I'm back and I'm happy to be playing.
Q. You said after winning the Australian that tennis is mental and technique. What's your mental frame of mind going in to this tournament?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Mentally, I always feel like I can do it. Sometimes my technique is not always there (laughing).
But really, mentally, if I feel I'm in the match or I feel that mentally I'm in the tournament and focused, I feel that's more than half of the battle.
Q. After the match you gave in Australia, were you surprised or not that Hantuchova came through last week?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, she has a lot of talent. She's a tall player, a powerful player. That was a great result for her. My first tournament was a tier three, I loved it, every minute of it. But that's a major achievement for your first title to be such a big one.
Q. How special is it for you to play here, a place where you had so much success?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think the best part is that I'm playing at home and all my friends and family can come down and see me play in my own setting.
Q. Do you look forward to this tournament?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, always. Always. This is my -- largest title before the Wimbledon 2000, so it was all I had before the Wimbledon 2000.
Q. What's the joy of winning again and again?
VENUS WILLIAMS: The fact that you don't have to go home and consider your loss. When you lose, it isn't a lot of fun. Winning is always much more fun. When you lose, you go home, you got to practice a little bit more, and it's not as easy. It's not a good feeling.
Q. How long does it typically take you to get over a loss?
VENUS WILLIAMS: A Grand Slam loss is a lot tougher. If I felt that I've given my best and the person has outplayed me, then it's a lot easier. But if I feel I had a bad day or I didn't do what I was supposed to, then it makes it a lot more difficult because you have regrets.
Q. There was a security press conference where Martina and Mary Jo talked about security. I'm just curious, have you had fans that have acted inappropriately?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Not at this point. I hope it continues in this way.
Q. Venus, an issue that came up at the Australian Open, thanks to Marcelo Rios, about the depth of the women's game, do you think some of the points that he made were valid about the early rounds of major tournaments where perhaps the lower-ranking women are not as equally matched as the men. Do you think that has anything to do with men being able to hold serve better?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I didn't give a lot of thought to any of the comments or anything that went down in Australia.
But in my opinion, women's tennis is great. There's not much more to be done to make it better.
Q. Even in the lower echelons?
VENUS WILLIAMS: In my opinion, all the players are playing better and the level is going up. It's not going to go backwards in any way; it's only going to go forward, the level of play in the competition.
Q. Do you take any precautions against crazy fans?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, I definitely watch where I am and watch who's around me. For me, it's my job, when I go out, to see who's saying, "Oh, is that her," and who's looking at me.
I can tell these things. I do watch what's around me. If I don't, then I'm not living in a reality. Especially in this world today.
Q. Were you still in New York when September 11th happened? It was not too long after the US Open. How did it impact you personally?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I was in the air. I was still asleep. Really, I didn't understand what was going on. It was quite confusing. I know they made an announcement on the airplane, but I was still asleep, I didn't understand. We were exiting the airplane. I didn't know if we should try to get back on, get our luggage.
I made it to Florida, I got to Jacksonville. But one of my sisters was on her way to California. You know, she could have well have been on one of those flights, so...
I don't know. God has blessed us to be here today. We have to be with the families that are having a hard time.
Q. Did it impact the way you see life or feel about the game or yourself and your family any way after that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think it impacted a lot of people. I think it's something that has never happened before outside of a war. You don't expect these kind of things on a regular day. So, I think that was the toughest part to accept.
Q. Venus, when you finish your work at the Art Institute, could you see yourself leaving tennis and embarking on a completely different career? Is that conceivable?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, yes. I love art and business. I love organizing things and setting things up and putting things together. I consider tennis an art at times (laughing).
Q. Would you leave the game without regrets, even within two years?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't want to leave in two years. I think I'd have a lot of regrets. At this point, I'm young and I can't say at 35 that I would want to come backwards and start winning Grand Slams. I've got to do that now. So, I'm definitely giving it all that I have.
Q. Can you see yourself having an event like this one?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. No. I think this event is run beautifully. But I don't think I'll have a tennis event.
Q. What do you remember most about the match you had with Jennifer last year?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, I don't really know what was going on with either one of us in that match. It was all kinds of pressure points. I watched a tape of it, and I actually hit a dropshot with a matchpoint against me. I was more nervous watching the tape than when I was playing the match (laughing).
So, more than anything, I think it was just -- whether I won or lost, that would be one of the most memorable matches in my career.
Q. Can you talk about the challenge of repeating this year.
VENUS WILLIAMS: For me, in a tournament, whether it's a quarterfinal loss or a finals loss, I haven't won the title, for me it's about winning titles and not about if I finished well. So a repeat would be wonderful.
Q. When did you watch that tape, and what prompted it? Do you often watch yourself?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Only the matches I won (laughing). You won't find the ones I lost.
Q. Burned? When did you watch it?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I guess a few months after, someone sent me a tape or one of my family taped it and let me watch it. It was a real competition; that's for sure. I don't know how I got through that.
Q. Did you think you were going to lose it, as you were watching?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Did I feel I was going to lose it?
Q. As you watched, did you think, "How did I do this?"
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. It was just a great experience. Just the competition level was great.
Q. Don't you think you learned more from watching the matches you lost?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, for sure.
Q. But you don't do that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: But it's painful.
Q. Venus, you don't want to play 20 tournaments a year. You want to limit your schedule somewhat to big tournaments. If someone was to organize like, the eight best players on a tour, a ten-event tour around the country every year, would you see yourself part of that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. I'm very much happy with the tour, and I think I'd like to play more than ten events. Actually, this year I'm trying to get it up to about 17 or 18. So...
Any idea is worth while entertaining. Without ideas, you can't move ahead. But at this point I'm happy with the tour. I think we're progressing.
Q. The fact that you're planning to play 18 events, is that in response to the discussion last year that Lindsay went to No. 1, Jennifer went to No. 1, but everybody said, "Venus is the best but she doesn't play enough to be No. 1." Are you responding to that at all?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I want to live up to the commitment, the tournaments and the tour. Really that's my goal this year, is to at least play 17. That might not be easy, but I think I owe it to myself and I'd like to help the tour also. The events, people want to see the top players play, and I need to show up.
Q. Who convinced you of that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I make my own decisions nowadays (laughing). Once you pass 18, you couldn't tell me anything.
Q. Having won Wimbledon the last two years, there's probably not much temptation to change your approach to that tournament. Is there any likelihood you might play Eastbourne?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm not sure. I'm not sure. I enjoy having the two weeks in between and going home and training.
Q. Could you be tempted?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Plus, I lost on my birthday at Eastbourne one year, so that was a devastating experience.
Q. The way the tournament is set up, you would face your sister in the semis. Does it make a difference to face her in the semis as opposed to the finals?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think the finals would have been nice, especially since we played here once in the finals already, especially the fact that we both live in south Florida. But the semifinals is nice, too.
In the meantime, we both have to make it there.
Q. How tough do you think it will be to win here again?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It's always difficult at a larger tournament because the level of play is -- and more of the top players also enter. Plus, this is a six-round event, which is much more different than playing four rounds at a regular event. So it takes more stamina and mental focus.
Q. How happy are you to see the strides Alexandra Stevenson has made?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think it's very exciting. We played each other all the time in the Juniors. There was a lot of girls out there who we played against, and it's kind of dwindled down to Serena, me and Alexandra. I used to play with Marissa Irvin also. But really that's about it at this point. Only four of us on the tour that I played with.
I think she really deserves it. I think she's a good player, has a lot of potential. All she has to do is capitalize on it.
Q. Would you say Serena's played a role in your success? If she has, how would you describe it?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think she really has played a role in my success, especially after, you know, the '99 US Open. I think she really - sounds strange - but she paved the way for me. Just to realize, you know, "Venus, you can step up and do it also." Because if anyone else had gone out there and played as, in my opinion, courageously as she had, I probably wouldn't have noticed. But since it was Serena, it was like a role model. So I kind of started doing the things she was doing.
Q. Why was she courageous?
VENUS WILLIAMS: She just had no fear. She went for every ball with reckless abandon. She just executed. So I started to take a look at myself and realize I wasn't executing.
Q. Has she declined since then, do you feel?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think she's had a lot of untimely injuries, which has been the tough part. Things like in Australia, twisting her ankle, in Sydney. So that's been hard for her.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Thank you.