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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPENAugust 14, 2014Serena WilliamsCINCINNATI, OHIO S. WILLIAMS/F. Pennetta THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. How would you measure how you played earlier this year versus how you're playing now? SERENA WILLIAMS: I feel like I'm definitely playing better now. I have a lot more just confidence. I feel more relaxed. I just feel ‑‑overall I feel a lot better. I'm playing a lot better. Q. Can you talk about today's match? Seemed after that first break you really had control from there on out. SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I got an early break on and I just didn't let go. That's what I wanted to do, because she can try to come back. Even in the end she tried to make a comeback. But I knew I needed to kind of stay focused. Q. Did you hit after the match? Did you go back to the practice court? SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I just wanted to work on some things. Q. Just rhythm or... SERENA WILLIAMS: More rhythm than anything. I just needed that, yeah. Q. You could play either Sloane or Jankovic next. You have had interesting matches against them in the past. Talk about what you expect from either of them. SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, playing Jelena is always a challenge. She plays really well. Gets a lot of balls back. She's an intense player. So that would be interesting. And Sloane, she's doing really well the past two tournaments. I notice her results are getting a lot better. She actually get even more balls back. She does everything good. Obviously she has a win over me. So, you know, it won't be an easy match my next round. Q. What's the status of your sort of relationship right now? There was a lot of talk about that last year. SERENA WILLIAMS: I never had a problem with Sloane. I have always been a fan of hers and I like watching her play. Yeah, I think she's a great girl. Q. Do you remember the first time you played at the US Open in '98? SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. If I think about it, yeah. Q. You played Nicole Pratt in the first round, three sets. SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh. Q. I wonder if you remember emotions or nerves around that or what the feelings were? SERENA WILLIAMS: No. I remember playing a girl ‑‑a lady from ‑‑God, Spirlea. Yeah, I remember playing her. I don't remember playing Nicole Pratt, though. That's pretty interesting. Yeah, but I remember I was excited to be in the tournament. I remember that. I don't remember much else. Actually don't remember anything else. I just remember playing Spirlea. Q. A quick question about the Open. The week before the Open is kind of a busy one I think for a lot of the players with sponsorship obligations, kind of running around Manhattan. Is that something that's changed over time for you maybe in your career, having to do more pre‑Open compared to now, or is it exhausting at all before the tournament starts? SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, it can be exhausting if you allow it. I just try to keep my ‑‑I do maybe a few things. Try not to do too much. I don't want it to become overwhelming, and pretty much before every Grand Slam there is a lot of things you have to do and want to do for your sponsors. Q. Does the Open feel more busy than the other tournaments the week before? SERENA WILLIAMS: No. No. It's the same, yeah. Q. I want to talk about heat. I know it hasn't been a factor here. Just how you deal with it. Then also I'm doing a technology story on this Cool Seat that's being tried out in the tournament. During a changeover you sit in this cool gel. It was tried in Washington. Would you be open to using that or would you even need any of that? SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm good with the heat. I'm from LA but I have lived in Florida for most of my life. Nothing in the world hotter than Florida. Even Australia is hot, but Florida is just so humid. So I don't really know about the Cool Seat yet. If I'm hot, I don't like to be shocked with cold. So I like to kind of take it a little bit at a time. Q. When I talk to your fans here, they were wondering if you like to play here. Some players, for them like warm up tournament before US Open. Some fans feel that way. How do you like playing here? SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think it's a great place. I love coming here. It's fun. I like it because it's in America, as well, and it's so good to play some tournaments in the United States. Being an American, it just feels like you're at home. Even though it's not your home state it's your home country, so it's a great feeling. Q. You said you like watching Andy Murray because he acts like a baby sometimes. SERENA WILLIAMS: Because he acts like me. Q. Can you relate to other emotional players? SERENA WILLIAMS: I think I do. I definitely do. I'm super emotional on the court. I think he's exciting to watch. I think it's fun. I think it's just so entertaining. Q. Obviously some players show nothing almost on court. Do you wish more players would express what's inside them? SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, only because I sometimes am not the best on court, so it's good to know that I'm not alone sometimes. That's all. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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