AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 24, 2001

Venus Williams

MODERATOR: Questions for Venus.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Uhm, I don't think so. I think I pretty much fought for everything I had. Toward the end I really cut down on my errors and I was able to move forward. Plus I've been in that situation quite a few times before, so I have a little bit of experience of being in the hole.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't think she did anything wrong, to be honest. I think I was just able to capitalize on some of the short balls. I moved forward, and I think I hit a few winners. I don't think she really just -- I think in the last game she had a few errors, maybe she was thinking too much. But I don't really think she did anything wrong.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I guess it's as good as it gets at this point.

VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, if I'm not in shape now, it's too late. I just have to play this tournament, go home, get in better shape. I think more than anything, tennis is a mental game. If you tell yourself you're not tired, lo and behold, you aren't.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, definitely in the first set I felt very flat. But I had to really pick myself up if I was planning on staying in the tournament.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think it's like a natural reflex. If I lose the first set or anyone on the tour loses a first set, just to really get back in there in the second, which I was able to do. Stayed on serve in the third till late. I think it's just not liking to lose. I don't like to lose. I really just didn't want to.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't -- I don't think so, as far as turn it on. Today was not one of my better days, but I think I had no other choice than just to make the right choices. You know, I had no more room for error. So eventually I was able to do that, fortunately.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I always have a set of notes.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Basically I just use the notes so that my mind doesn't wander in between the changeover, just to keep my mind focused on the match. That's what it's mostly for.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No (smiling).

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. I just -- actually I just stayed calm and made a few shots, came to the net a couple of times. You know, my mom was really over there helping me feel better about myself, I was having a rough day. I really think that helped out the most.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. Actually, you know, it affected my hairstyle. I thought the sun was going to be out, so I pulled my hair back, put my hat on. If I had known they were going to close the roof, I would have worn a ponytail. It definitely affected my hair.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, there were times when I really just wouldn't move forward. It was terrible. I realized that I couldn't win the match like that. I could just, I guess, lose it. I've been in the situation before, like when I was younger. I would lose matches because I didn't move forward, and I didn't just take it to the person, make something happen. So that's what I had to do.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Uh-huh, yeah, because a lot of times there's a lot of pressure on your serves, especially in a match like that. Sometimes it's better to get the first serve in. But I always go for the big one at the end. I guess it was pretty close, but I always had a plan to hit an ace.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think so. I definitely think so. If I can just stay in there.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Not that I'm aware of. Not in my opinion.

VENUS WILLIAMS: In this case I can't be sure because we have a doubles match today. I believe the semifinals are tomorrow, including a doubles match also, providing that we do win the match today, which I'm hoping we do. In this case, it would have been better to have a 6-1, 6-1 win. But no matter what happens, you got -- I have to stay out there. So naturally I would have liked to have an easier match.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm not sure exactly if I'm playing better. I just feel just confident in my competitive attitude, more or less. I'm always ready to compete; I'm not always on my best game. But I do feel like I can do the right things at the right time. I think that's the most important thing.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think that if you aren't careful on any day, she can really give you a bad day, ruin your tournament. So I think everyone respects her because she makes quite a few shots, she runs down shots, and she's improved her groundstrokes as far as producing winners. So it's definitely someone you have to be careful against.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I can't really hear her saying things because of the crowd and the clapping, but I can hear her voice and I can see her. I don't look up a lot, especially if I'm really doing bad, I feel a little bit bad because I know what she's told me to do, and if I'm not doing it, then I feel a little ashamed, so I don't always look up. Especially like in the first set and the second set, I was feeling a little bit nervous to look up there. But when it's really time and I really need some support, I do look up.