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WIMBLEDON

July 1, 2016

Serena Williams

London, England

S. WILLIAMS/C. McHale
6‑7, 6‑2, 6‑4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. She made you work for it today. How would you assess that performance?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think it was pretty good, you know, especially in the second set at least. Yeah, she played better than I've ever seen her play before. She was just hitting line shots from the first point to the last.
Yeah, it was good for me to get through that.

Q. How important was mental strength in that win?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, there were times where I was down and out. I just kept fighting. That's what I know I can do best. I knew that I could count on that, rely on that.

Q. If you're going to struggle and fight, is this the best venue for you to do it at where you have the grass underfoot, big serve going?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't think that's a fair statement. I think I've struggled and fought on every surface and I've come out on top.
It really doesn't matter what surface it is for me.

Q. Your racquet ended up in the cameraman's lap after that first set. Did that help you in some way to get the frustration out?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I guess so. I was just really, really, really angry. I had a lot of chances. She got really lucky on some shots. She just was playing great. I was a little disappointed in myself at that point.

Q. What are you most proud of of yourself today?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm proud of how I closed it out that last game, I thought it was a very strong game. Being able to get through that match, it wasn't easy, but I was able to get through it.

Q. What makes Wimbledon so special to you and would you have any advice for kids to come to Wimbledon, as well?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I think Wimbledon obviously is a special place just in the name itself. You just think of so much history, just so many things.
I think it really is cool and awesome to encourage the youth to come out here and see some amazing tennis by so many great players. Maybe they'll choose tennis for their future.

Q. Did the racquet end up in the cameraman's lap? At the end of the match were you able to see the funny side of that?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Actually, I gave it to a fan, yeah.

Q. It slid off the court.
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know what happened to it in between that.

Q. When you can come through tough matches like that, you must be proud of the fact you were able to do that. You talked about mental strength before.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I'm super proud of that. I think I'm amazing when it comes to tight matches and getting through it, you know, just really fighting till the end. I don't give up.
I think that was one of the things I was able to do today.

Q. Venus has spoken out the last couple days about her unhappiness with Wimbledon putting more men's matches on the biggest courts. You've been on the big courts in your first two matches. Do you feel this is still an issue that women's tennis should be trying to make progress on?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think in the first couple days they put some more women's matches on the center courts. Hopefully they can keep making some progress.

Q. What was the story with that fan? You stood there for a while and made sure you signed the racquet for the fan. I think the fan gave you something, too.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I see her a lot at my matches in different places. She's really cool. She asked me for the racquet, so I kind of wanted to give it to her.

Q. What did she give you?
SERENA WILLIAMS: She gave me a shirt that had a taco on it. She knows I like tacos.

Q. Talking about sexism in court scheduling‑‑
SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm really not in the mood to talk about that. Can we ask any other question?

Q. You've won this title here six times. You know what it takes to win the title here. Where do you think your form is at at the moment and where do you think it needs to be to win another?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think my form, obviously it has to be somewhere to be competing in Wimbledon. I do believe that every match I do plan on getting better. I hope to play more matches to get better. I'm ready for it. I'm ready for any challenge.

Q. In the first set you had that overrule on a Hawk‑Eye. What were you thinking when that happened?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I just thought, If that is not good luck...
I honestly thought that ball was out. It was just really unlucky at that point. I just was very, very, very angry. I mean, not at the point, just that I wasn't able to win that set.

Q. Do you trust Hawk‑Eye? Do you think it's totally, completely accurate?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I could have swore that ball was out. I thought that ball was out, but...

Q. What are your thoughts about the possibility of a penalty, a fine for example, as a result of the racquet episode?
SERENA WILLIAMS: It's definitely a fine.

Q. So when you look back on it, will you look back on it with regret or just think it was in the moment and that's it?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I've cracked a number of racquets throughout my career. I've gotten fined a number of times for cracking racquets. In fact, I look at it like I didn't crack one at the French Open or Rome, so I was doing really good. I don't want to go too long without cracking a racquet.
You know, I'm on track. I try to crack a certain amount a year. I'm a little behind this year, so it was good.

Q. On TV, Jim Courier said you were in warrior mode in the third set. How would you describe your mode?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think that's a really good way to describe it. I felt like I was definitely in warrior mode. I was out there playing for my life at that point, trying to play to stay in the tournament.

Q. I believe you sent out an interesting tweet about history and records. Talk about how thoughts about history‑‑
SERENA WILLIAMS: I sent out a tweet about history and records? I don't think it was me. Maybe it was someone else.

Q. Could you talk about your thoughts about‑‑
SERENA WILLIAMS: That is another thing I'm not talking about anymore. Sorry.

Q. I don't know if you saw any of it, but Sam Querrey is up twosetstonone against Djokovic. What are your thoughts on that result, if he can finish it out?
SERENA WILLIAMS: It's torn because Sam's an American. I always root for Sam. But on the flipside, I always root for the champions. I really want Djokovic to get this.
So it's not over. I think he still has a chance. You know, I didn't know that.

Q. What is your reaction to learning of how Venus won today, and your thoughts in general on how far she's come in this tournament with the obstacles of the rain and a tough match today?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm just glad I don't have to play her in the fourth round, as I do at every Grand Slam. That's the only thing I'm just happy about. Obviously I'm happy she's won. But I'm just happy I don't have to play her.

Q. How do you change your mindset from being in, effectively, competition against your sister and then playing doubles with her? Do you have a healthy sibling rivalry? How do you approach the competitions?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I approach it now as any other match. But in the beginning, obviously I wasn't able to approach it like that. Now it's different. It's like, Okay, she's probably my toughest opponent, hands down, that I've ever played. It's never exciting to go against her.
Then coming back to play doubles, it's like you want to be able to win that match, too.

Q. In the interview when you came off court after your win, you said, I know mentally no one can break me. What did you mean by that?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think it says it in itself. I've been through a lot in my career, on the court and off the court. I've been in every position you can be in. So I know mentally I'm, hands down, one of the toughest players out here. It's very difficult to break me down mentally.

Q. How is your mother holding up? I know she was running back and forth between the two matches.
SERENA WILLIAMS: I know. That must have been really annoying and difficult for her, especially with the rain, the stopping and the going.
Yeah, but I'm glad we were both able to get that win today.

Q. A lot of players feed off momentum and playing really well, but because you can raise your levels when you need to, because of you mental strength, you don't need the same type of momentum that other players might?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm great with momentum. If things aren't going my way, I try to hang in there another way and win. I like to believe it's something really great that I can do.
THE MODERATOR: Last question.
SERENA WILLIAMS: No takers, great. Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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