TMS - INDIAN WELLS, WOMEN

March 11, 2001

Venus Williams

MODERATOR: Questions for Venus.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. Just really got away from my game plan basically. In the third set, I really just went to doing what I had planned on.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, yes.

VENUS WILLIAMS: My game plan, I don't want to share that, but I did not stick to it. When I didn't, I was just confused. It was a real bad state.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I don't think so. I wasn't playing my best before that time. I guess all that matters is I was able to recover.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm hitting much better. I'm hitting really well. Once I got away from what I know how to do, what I had planned on doing, then I didn't have a plan at all. I was just out there hitting the ball. That's how I felt. Really, the third set I said, "I'm going to take this opportunity and I'm going to go ahead and play the way I know how, just start off right away."

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I don't think so. I think she started to play a lot better, she started to get confident, and I started missing quite a few shots, just really not doing what I'm able to do.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, definitely. I feel good about coming out of the match because, in the end, I did go out there and do what I'm doing in practice. I served a lot better. So there's always a positive. Even if I did play badly, that's over with, it's finished, there's nothing I can do about it. I just have to move on to the next round.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Definitely. I just think that my mental state gives me an advantage usually because most of the time it doesn't matter to me whether I'm tired or not. At that point I have to keep on running, I have to be a professional. If I lose because I'm tired, I don't think that's a professional excuse. I would really just not admit it until months later maybe. "Yes, mom, I was tired."

VENUS WILLIAMS: I just find that a lot of times I'll hit a big serve and they'll just block it back. Since I'm not willing to serve and volley at this point, you know, it's really a waste of energy at times. A lot of times I'll just hit a kick serve and wait for the short ball. The past two girls I played, they weren't very tall, so a kick serve is a lot harder. I mean, even for me the kick serve is sometimes difficult, and I'm six feet.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, still having fun.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, always in contact.

VENUS WILLIAMS: 15 minutes.

VENUS WILLIAMS: It's not very hard.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't wash. I don't clean. I wasn't made to do that.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Normally, I'll cook. But that's not very often because there's never usually a lot of time for that. I get Japanese take-out usually or I'll have a sandwich. I manage. I don't really know how. I guess that's the toughest part, you know, I have to find my own meal now.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I cook nice meats and I cook good desserts. I don't really like to eat the desserts, I just like to cook them.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I haven't even written mine and it's due today. I was supposed to have the rough draft in on Thursday. I'm ready. I've started mine. I have a thesis sentence, three-topic sentence, supporting (inaudible). I've mapped it out; all I have to do is fill it in.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes. I've picked her subject already.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Please don't write this. The teacher could read this. He could read this.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think right now I just really have to concentrate on playing because the more contracts that I may be in, the more responsibility that I have to my sponsors. I have a limited amount of time. Plus I think that we've taken all the contracts that we really believe in, things that represent us well. We just don't take anything that comes to the door.

VENUS WILLIAMS: You've got to talk to him.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm just a dumb athlete. Come on, I'll sign anything (rolling eyes).

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't mind playing her. It's always a good match. You know, it's going to be late in the tournament, so that's nice, too. We've played each other actually in two finals. We're one and one in finals. In semifinals, I guess I'm up one. It's bound to happen because we're playing on the professional tour, play pretty well, always in the main draw. Hopefully one day we'll meet in the finals. We'll take those top positions and stop losing sets for no reason.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Lamb chops. But I don't eat them, but I like to cook them.

VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, either I eat a little bit and I then I forget to put it in the refrigerator and it will spoil. Sometimes I'll cook if someone's over, but that's rare. I just cook them up.