US OPEN

August 25, 1997

Venus Williams

VERONIQUE MARCHAL: Questions for Venus.

VENUS WILLIAMS: You guys hear me good enough? Is that better? I like playing in big stadiums. I like playing in this stadium. So that has nothing to do with nervousness. I really wasn't too nervous. I really wanted to pull that match out because I haven't been playing too well the last tournaments I played.

VENUS WILLIAMS: My expectations, my goal for this tournament is when I play my matches, for not one bead to fall out of my hair.

VENUS WILLIAMS: It's two weeks.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't think it was necessarily a slow start. Larisa played well. She has slice on both sides. Someone tall as me has to get down for that. Have to keep the balls deep. I was giving her some short balls. She loves to come in and slice it, take advantage of it. I wasn't really playing the game I really can play. I can overpower her if I get a chance to. I just started trying to do that when I got a short ball. Had to start playing aggressive, keep my feet moving.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I like it.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, it was definitely a privilege playing on this court. Definitely a perfect name to name the court after. And Arthur has done a lot for the game, a lot for the world. He was a great role model. Just not off the court -- on the court, but off the court also. It's a good thing.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I got to play on it a little bit on Arthur Ashe Kids' Day. It's not a fast court. Some of the courts around here are fast, because I was practicing on some, so. I get used to it. But it's a nice court to play on, a lot of running room. I do like to run.

VENUS WILLIAMS: It's not a fast court, but it's not a slow court. It's just a regular court. I mean, a slow court for me is a claycourt, I guess.

VENUS WILLIAMS: He's always with me with at every tournament.

VENUS WILLIAMS: In every way.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I spoke to her once. Obviously she did a lot for tennis. Players like myself and a lot of other African American players on The Tour, she was -- she paved the way for us to play because other than that, we would still be fighting to play on The Tour. So it's important that we recognize this, that I recognize it, and for me to know my history.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, but she was playing a good player. She's had injuries, so it's not her best year. We all know she's a good player.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Not really. I mean, I'm not on The Tour too often. But probably playing Fed Cup together or something.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think most of my game actually is there. I just have to go out there and play my game and not become nervous or become too involved with what the other person is doing. And also, I had to stay focused today, all the time, which I tried to do today. Sometimes I look ahead in the match, look back in the match at what happened. I just want to stay focused on that point, that shot. That's what I have to do.

VENUS WILLIAMS: My mother co-coaches.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think that when I play -- when Serena and I played, we always just expected to be here. We were playing so long. When I was ten, I had been playing likes six years. So it's just something. Tennis, I was around tennis all my life; I started playing when I was young, so it was just what I expected, not what I hoped. I just knew I would be there, something I lived with.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm definitely pretty happy, but I'm not happier than when I was at the French Open when I won first round. I was pretty happy then. I'm happy now. I just want to make sure I play well in the next round.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, they don't say too many negative things. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I'm not in the business of trying to mold people's minds. So I just have to go on my program.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Next year I'll play a lot more probably.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Next spring I'll play a lot more. Just depends on what I want to do. If I don't want to be out there, I'm not going to go.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Schooling plans? I can be out of high school right now, but I wanted to go back. I took algebra two last year, but I did not do well in it, so I had to go back to algebra one. I took geometry. I did well in that. Actually, people told me it ruined their high school, but I liked it. When they just gave me the rules and I could apply them and memorize them, it was good. This year I want to take algebra two because later on I'm going to want to go to college, I want to know that. Physics and --

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm actually kind of graduated right now. Actually I have about 24 credits, 26, something or other.

VENUS WILLIAMS: And play professional tennis?

VENUS WILLIAMS: This year I took some college classes in the fall and I hardly played any tournaments. I played during the -- during the classes, I played about three tournaments. It wasn't easy. I would have to stay up late at night and write reports. I couldn't even type. I had to type my own. It was just a lot of work. It can be done, but I don't want to do it. I only had a couple classes. I didn't have a full load, so. Right now I think tennis is like one of the most important things in my life and I have my high school education.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Palm Beach Community College, short drive from my old home.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I took freshman communications, a writing course, cohesive writing. I didn't like it too much. I took political science. I liked that. I was supposed to read all 22 chapters. I made three and a half.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I would say I held serve, my serve started breaking down. I began to think what I was taught about, my serves going in, hit a first serve, second serve. Stay at home, stay with the tournament, never give up. A lot of things went on in that match. Actually I wrote a story about my match. I ended it with Serena's and I double's match. I ended it in the second set. The teacher asked if I was going to write more. I ended it at the high point. I think I did finish it.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I've been in the situation a couple times. I played my fair share of three sets in my little career at this moment in time. So I've been there. I know that I could pull it out. I knew that I could play well, knew I could win that match.

VENUS WILLIAMS: On the paper? An A.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Behind? There are some things I want, some people my age don't know what they want, but I do know what I want. Other than that, I don't think I'm behind anything. I don't know too many more that have much more than I do, I have a good family, good career, 17, three dogs.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I just said like next year I was going to play some more. I don't know. I might start my season in January this year. Who knows?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Just depends what I want to do usually. If I wanted to play in Australia in January, I would do it. But I didn't want to because I won't be there. Of course if I tell my dad and my mom I want to play, usually they'll allow it. Except last year I wasn't allowed to play the Slams. I just was not there.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I talked to her once.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes, I did. He had a program in Philadelphia. I was about 12. Took a picture with him.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, he was mostly just like tall, graceful. I don't remember what he said. I'm sorry. It was like five years ago.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, it was a clinic. A lot of the top junior players.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, it depends on the player. Some people get excited when they get overpowered. A lot of times if I move up to the ball, take it early, I don't even have to hit it as hard. It's just you take the time away from your opponent. If I do that and have power, then no one can do too much with it. But some players are able to handle the power. But if I want to, I can hit it hard. If I want to, I can hit a slice. I don't too often hit those because I just prefer to go with the two-hand backhand. If I have the power, no reason for me not to use it. Sometimes she had late preparation on her shots. If I overpowered her, hit a lot of power on the ball, speed on it, sometimes it probably could ruin her timing.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Thank you.

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