THE LIPTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 20, 1997

Venus Williams

VENUS WILLIAMS: The rat? That was very odd. I really didn't know what was going on. Actually I thought it was some type of creature. I guess I figured it was a rat. I thought it was some type of mouse, not a rat. A full-blown rat?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Did they put it in a box or something?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, it didn't.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I mean, nothing like that ever happened before. I don't think it happens too often. I don't think it disturbed my rhythm too much. I don't think I was playing as well. I think she started playing better. She really gains momentum, especially if you give her some points. Actually, she has a very good forehand. She was running around her backhand to hit the forehand. She just played very well today.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I wasn't bothered at all.

VENUS WILLIAMS: She felt she was getting a lot of bad calls. I saw the balls. I didn't think they were in. I think I got a couple bad calls, but I just kind of move on with the match. Only in doubles I argue. I don't know, maybe the day will come when I start arguing in singles.

VENUS WILLIAMS: It's a lot of fun. I've been coming to the Lipton for so long, maybe three or four years. Every stadium is really nice. Did they have it last year? I don't think I came last year. It's a great tournament, it's near home.

VENUS WILLIAMS: What was it like? I mean, it was like playing a regular tournament. The Lipton is great. It's a men's and women's tournament, 128 draw, something like a Slam. Everybody tries to get into this tournament.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know what it would be like with a foreign crowd. I never played out of the States. I'm going to play the Italian Open in May. That's the first one out of the States. I really don't know too much about the other side, I would say.

VENUS WILLIAMS: When does the summer end?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm playing Italy, France, Eastbourne, Wimbledon.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No. It's a lot of talk. No, it's not. I have great plans to be there.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Me changing my mind.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, or if my parents said, "Venus, we don't really want you to play." They would let me play still, but I would think twice about it. If they didn't want me to play, there's probably a reason.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't want to talk about it. I have like nine geometry assignments. I have chemistry, I'm taking some college courses. I haven't written a report that was due today. That's what happens when you go to tournaments, really.

VENUS WILLIAMS: We had to do a people poll in political science, take a poll on political issues. I have to write about the results of my part in the poll, how I felt about the poll. I'm really going to tell her how I felt about it, how I want to do it.

VENUS WILLIAMS: In school, when I do geometry and know how to do it, I love it. The worst part was dihedral angles. I almost gave up on it. One day it clicked. Yes. I love dihedras, that's what I started calling them. My favorite is psychology, maybe. What else do I like? French. I'm not the best French speaker, mostly mute. I can say hello and good-bye. About two minutes later, I can't hold a conversation after two minutes.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, no.

VENUS WILLIAMS: He knows. I told him I wanted someone to help me with my geometry. I missed a midterm from playing the Evert Cup. I had to study all night for it yesterday, like three hours. It was all multiple guess, so it was great.

VENUS WILLIAMS: It all started when I was at Evert Cup. I went and watched every match. I stayed in the lunchroom too long. When I got in, I watched TV. I admit it. If I deny it, it would just lead back to that cycle. I know it's true. I want everyone to know I did this.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I put myself in this whole situation, so.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I wish we were. Doubles is the best with her.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I said doubles is the best with her.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't have a partner.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I wouldn't pick, because right now I'm not the best doubles player. Serena and I are good doubles players. I have to pull it together more. I haven't played doubles hardly all at all. When we went and played at Evert Cup, we didn't have experience at all. We just played. We barely played ten sets of doubles. I'm going to pull it together, and that way I'll pull my serve together and things like that. Then I can think about getting a mixed-doubles partner. Serena can accept my mistakes, but the other person doesn't know me.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, yeah. I think anyone gets a lot of confidence after they play very well in a tournament. I think that's definitely a plus for this tournament.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I felt really great, especially about the doubles.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I felt good about how I played pretty much.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I definitely want to make my serve more consistent, some technical problems that I refuse to fix. They want to stay a part of me, like little demons. I'm going to get rid of them, though. There's a lot of things. I don't want to talk about that at this time.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Usually I'm pretty relaxed before I play a match. Yeah, we always have fun, laugh, talk, whisper.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Against each other?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes, it's a different. Especially with Serena, it's kind of like a team sport. I never played a team sport like basketball or volleyball or things like that. It's something like a team sport. We don't even have to talk too much because we've known each other so long. It's a lot of fun. It's a difference. Singles is a lot of fun, too, but it isn't as much verbose.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes. We've already told each other, if we come against each other, it's each woman for their own. I don't want to lose, she doesn't want to lose. I don't know when she comes on the court when I play against her, who is she? We've already discussed these things. I'm going to be glad when we play singles together. We'll have built-in hitting partners. We probably won't always play the same tournaments.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes, big differences. I would say Serena is more aggressive, more willing to come to the net. I'm willing to come to the net, but not always in the first round. I think that's something I need to get over. Especially if I play against more someone like in the Top 20. I don't know what she was ranked. Anyone know? Usually I'll come to the net more. Serena, she comes to the net, serve and volleys, returns the volleys, does everything all the time.

VENUS WILLIAMS: My mother and my father gave me everything I've got.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, yeah.

VENUS WILLIAMS: The coaches?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Just one, yeah. Usually I don't get too much coaching anymore. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. It just depends.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I work with my father and sometimes I work with Dave Rineberg, see him. Some days I really need a lot of coaching, a lot of talking. Sometimes it's irritating, but you need to hear it. I usually say nothing. I don't have fits like most people do, like some people I know. Some days I don't get much coaching at all, so those are my coaches.