HOME DEPOT CHAMPIONSHIPS

November 8, 2002

Venus Williams

Q. What do you think of the quality of this match? Was it high?

VENUS WILLIAMS: The quality?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think there was some great points, for sure, and then, you know, there was some unforced errors, also. I think it was quite a long game and good serves at very important times. It made the game exciting. We were going back and forth a lot.

VENUS WILLIAMS: She's definitely not almost finished. Tonight she showed everyone that she's very much a force to be reckoned with and extremely serious about her game.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I didn't want to lose.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. I'm just really so used to winning, that, I don't know, maybe I just thought I could win. I don't really know. It was definitely a great match, and I was trying to hold the serve, especially. She broke me when I was up 4-3 in the second. She just did a lot of great shots. You know, I did make a mistake to get broken, but she hit a lot of good shots to set herself up. I really wanted to serve well and hold my serve. That's the name of the game.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Sure, I remember all those matches in the French Open when she was down 6-love and the tie breaker with Steffi and, of course, when she played Capriati. I remember all those things. She's my favorite player. Of course, when we play now, I'm rooting for me.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I started grunting because of Monica. I never grunted before that, and now I can't stop. You know, I started doing things like her. She was revolutionary. She took the game to another level and makes everyone realize it.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think definitely Monica. I don't actually hear when I'm playing. I don't really hear anything. I think she's definitely got a rhythm going. I can't keep up with her on that part sometimes, though.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, not anymore. I think sometimes when I'm not grunting, I think my intensity is a little lower and maybe I'm not getting the best out of myself.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Could be. It looks like. We'll see in a couple of years.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Things rarely change in life, normally. At a young age, I'm preaching, but not really. There's not so much to do.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Sure, it's a good place.

VENUS WILLIAMS: How are we revolutionizing?

VENUS WILLIAMS: In which part of life are we talking about?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I like to think of myself as a forward thinker. I'm always planning for the future, especially my future, and I always have lots of activities going on in my life. I'm always planning things out and know exactly where I'm going and what I'm doing and that kind of thing and what I want. Maybe in that way I'm a revolutionary off of the court, and on the court, I like to think I work hard enough to stand out from all the other players, and that pretty much sums it up.

VENUS WILLIAMS: On their business, no way. I love McDonalds. Are you kidding? When I heard the news that they wanted to be affiliated with Serena and I, I was jumping for joy. I'm so happy to be where I am.

VENUS WILLIAMS: She's always a great player, very strong and definitely a lot more intense since she's been able to, I guess, recover from some injuries that she's had, and I suppose she's had some very good matches, because the players she played in order to get to the championship were quite good players. She played quite good, so she won easily. I suppose I'll have to step it up.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I have been thinking about that. Whenever I play Monica, she's the one that has those shots that hit the net and roll over, and I'm, you know, getting a little -- it was different tonight, because it was finally me that was getting those shots, and I felt very, very, very fortunate and blessed to get those.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, not really, because she's a good returner and it looked like today that she was really, really keen on getting the win, for sure. Especially considering the record's one-sided, she was even more intense to come out there and take the match from me. I could see that. Also, a lot of times the ball is hard and flat, and the player is right there, the shot goes for a winner. To me, if the shot can hit every time, she has to win the match. She wasn't able to hit the shot every time. It helped me out.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think she has a good combination in her game, good speed, good power and good consistency. I think she's really improved her attitude on the court. She tries hard, and other than that, she's just a really good player and really talented, so it's going to be a tougher match.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I guess it's hard. I'm never too often in this position, but I like to think when I'm playing, I can go to Plan B, to run everything down, or go to Plan C. It definitely helps that I'm also tall and have good reach. It's because my mom said you're not growing up tall and lanky, so I didn't.

VENUS WILLIAMS: My house, stay home, live comfortably, be in my bed.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Vacation, could I say Italy?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes.