WIMBLEDON

June 26, 2001

Venus Williams

MODERATOR: Venus Williams.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think I played okay, you know, for a first round match. Sometimes those always can be a little bit shaky. But I think I had the opportunity to hit a lot of balls, hit a few returns, so that's always good.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Not at all. I don't really feel any pressure to. Having won last year was really a dream come true. Whether or not I win this year has nothing to do if I won last year, in my opinion, because I still want the title just as much. So I don't feel any pressure to defend. If anything, I would just like to win again.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I didn't have any difficulty concentrating. I think it's easy to lose focus, especially when you're winning easily. But I didn't have any issues with that at all.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I really just started going for too much. I wanted every shot to be great and perfect. Sometimes you have to play 50%, not 100. I was able to crawl out of it. But, you know, I did have some errors. All I can do is learn from it, just go back on the practise court.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, it was hot. But I had a little preparation, living in Florida. But it's quite hot.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No. It's just a rumor. I don't have any lucky charms.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I do, but I don't have any lucky charms.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I just like to wear the same style dress every time. If I kind of defer from that, then I start to believe that I'll be less successful. So I have to try a dress out in doubles before it can be ready for single's.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, Bob has been having some discipline problems lately.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.

VENUS WILLIAMS: As a mom, you've got to worry. He's doing okay. I heard he escaped some disciplining. While the other dogs were being disciplined, he ran under the couch so nobody could reach him.

VENUS WILLIAMS: If Bobby were here, he'd be a joy every day. He helps me warm up on the court. He's quite noisy. He just makes you feel good. He's a feel-good dog.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Bobby is a Yorkshire terrier. I'll have to bring a picture next time. Serena has pictures in her purse. I do, too, but I didn't bring it.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I feel really motivated. Anytime you come to Wimbledon, in my opinion, you just have to feel motivated, especially when you walk out on centre. There's really no better feeling. The court is so perfect, it's the best grass court I've ever played on in my life, including all the other courts at this facility. I love being there. 1:00 start on Tuesday, I came through.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, it was super. I think you have a lot more feeling when you lose because it's just so hard, especially when you lose a tough match, it's really tough to get going again. When you win, everything's perfect. But I think you have a lot more feelings when you lose a match. So I just want to keep winning.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, it was real nice. My first Grand Slam at Wimbledon. That's really a top pick, in my opinion. If I could choose one to win first, it would have to be this one. Really a dream come true.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, definitely I was thinking about it. You know, I still haven't gotten over it. I feel really deprived not having been able to compete there. I really felt I had a good chance. I think the draw really opened up, too, all the players either withdrawing or falling out. Yeah, I don't think I'll ever get over it.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I got a just punishment. I went home, had to face all types of heat, and I got bit by a lot of bugs. I was punished. I was motivated enough to win my match so I could stay here at Wimbledon.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I try to get as much out of my practise times as possible. If I'm not practising effectively, I might as well not be practising. That's how I feel. Really, I try to do a lot of my work in my mind. I try to really be prepared before I come to the tournament so I don't have to work on anything at all, I have it all together when I get here. When I arrive at a tournament, all I have to do is just maintain my game. That's really what I focus on. I think you have to win the battle in your mind first before you go out there on the court. So I think that's one of the reasons why I don't have to compete as much as the next player.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, not really. I think everything I did last year was quite good. If I could just do what I did last year, I think that would be perfect. Move forward, just execute it. That's enough to win a Slam.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think if you have the opportunity to bully your opponent, then you have to take that chance. Also I think that finesse and touch is also something that if you can kind of move your opponent around, being tricky, kind of having them off balance, that's perfect also. But sometimes if you have the power, it's perfect to use it. So I think it's a happy medium between both. Learning to use both is good.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Normally I use less power if I'm winning easily. I take a lot off the ball, start to really enjoy myself. But if I'm not winning easily, it's a lot harder for an opponent, always having to feel that I'm pushing them back or they have to keep returning my deep balls and my hard balls, whereas if I was just hitting them softer, they feel less pressure that I'm even going to hit a winner. In my opinion, I have -- God gave me the gift of being strong, I'm going to use it.

VENUS WILLIAMS: At this point I don't even think she's on my side of the draw, so I haven't really thought very much about it.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, at this point she has the best results, so you'd have to say that she's doing the best, whereas the rest of us have been trying, but it hasn't exactly happened.

VENUS WILLIAMS: What do you think about it?

VENUS WILLIAMS: What do you think about that?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know because I haven't read anything about it, so I wouldn't be able to make an educated opinion.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I just think, you know, you've got to start pressuring, because in time it will come. I don't think I'd be as helpful as someone who lives in England, and someone who understands how to work with players. And also if you don't know the answer, how could I? I just finished being a kid myself, so I'm just trying to grow up.

VENUS WILLIAMS: What was the question?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I don't think I worked hard enough. I deserve to be in this position. It's okay. I'm not doing that bad.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think most of the players probably do have their pet peeves. It's hard to get rid of them once you have them.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. She has two now.