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ROGERS CUP WOMENAugust 5, 2014Venus WilliamsMONTREAL, QUEBEC V. WILLIAMS/A. Pavlyuchenkova THE MODERATOR: Questions for Venus. Q. We felt left out. You've never come before. VENUS WILLIAMS: I know. It's 2014. I can't believe that I've never been here. I've been excited all summer about coming to Montréal. It's a new city, a new place. I've heard so much about the city, how it has a European flare. That was exciting, as well. Finally, you know, 20 years after I turned pro I'm in Montréal. Q. Is Serena practicing her French with you? VENUS WILLIAMS: No. Actually I haven't seen her yet. She just got here. So we've been on different schedules. She's resting from last week and I'm training for this week. Kind of two different paths. I do need the practice. Q. How did the first win in Montréal feel for you? VENUS WILLIAMS: It felt awesome. I mean, it was a tough draw for both of us. We're both obviously very good players. She's also a dangerous player for the top players as well because she just can do everything well. When she's on, it's sometimes very difficult to stop her. It felt good to get through this match and kind of hopefully gain that momentum for the rest of the week. Q. Do you think you can take out that No.1 seed? VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, Serena. Which one? I'm like, I don't think I'm playing the No.1 seed next. I felt I got a little short last week, 7‑5 in the third. I was close. But that's why I'm playing these matches this summer. I can just get the matches, get better rhythm as I continue to go. Nobody plays perfect all the time. I would love to. I think just playing these tournaments in the summer is going to help me a lot. Q. Given your condition, do you have weeks that are better than other? VENUS WILLIAMS: I like to think that every day will be amazing. That's how I think. If it's not, then I just think that tomorrow will be better. You know, I do have issues. Some days are better than others. But I deal with the challenges the best that I can. I feel like, you know, I couldn't be doing better at the moment. Q. How long do you feel you can still play? VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. I still move really well. I still serve really well. I still hit big. As long as that's happening... The things that would stop me would be I'm not really good anymore, I don't want to play, or I have kids. Those three things, you know. Q. How long has it been since you went old school on the scoreboard with the power going out? VENUS WILLIAMS: It was like going to the Southern California juniors. I try to think of it as a positive. Oh, it will just be like practice, so go ahead relax, it will be a practice match. You play those mind games when you're out there. I had so many opportunities to break in the second. The third kept going like deuce/advantage. I was happy to finally get a break at 4‑2. Q. We see a lot of players from the '90s, Martina Hingis, Kimiko Date. How do you beat Father Time, keep the energy going against girls much younger? VENUS WILLIAMS: I think the enthusiasm for tennis has changed a lot. I think maybe a decade or two decades ago people were playing so much, that mentally, physically, emotionally you cannot go that hard and be prepared for 11 months out of the year, train the other month, then play again. It's just very difficult. I think players are being more selective of how they play, how they prepare, how many tournaments they're playing, and also I think players are realizing, Hey, I can play great tennis into my 30s. That's when you're smart, you have the experience, instead of saying, Hey, I can't do it. Everything is changing. Q. What has impressed you about Eugenie Bouchard? VENUS WILLIAMS: She's a great player. When I got here and saw her everywhere, I was like, That's awesome. I see her everywhere in the city, on TV. I'm really happy for her. She's just like a mega star, especially in Canada, increasingly all over the world. It was great to see her in the final. Seems like there's a lot of great things happening for Canadian tennis. Q. What can you say about your next opponent? VENUS WILLIAMS: I have never played her. I'll never underestimate anyone. She came through the qualifying. She played a few matches. She beat Flavia, who has had an amazing year, coming back from injury. Also, another powerful, wise player. She must be playing well, so I've got to be ready. Q. In terms of Eugenie Bouchard, in terms of her popularity, what does that do for the WTA brand do you think going forward? VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think the more players that are appealing to so many people, it grows the game, not just for tennis, but all sports. I think one thing about her, she's very focused. I don't think there's any worry of whether or not she can keep her level going. It's great to see her do it. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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