WIMBLEDON

July 1, 2003

Venus Williams

MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone. Venus Williams for you.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, it was a tough match, for sure, and I knew it would be going into it because, you know, Lindsay was striking the ball so well the whole tournament and hitting really clean. Also I didn't get as many first serves in that I would like, so that made it a little tougher for me today. But those last two service games for me were quite effective. My serve was there. That was very nice.

VENUS WILLIAMS: (Smiling). When they don't come back, it feels great.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I had to fight very hard. The second set went so fast. I didn't want the third set to go that fast unless it was, of course, my way. But I had to get in there and fight. Lindsay played very well.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think that helps me a lot that I'm able to play good defense and also a lot of good offense and then take the defense and make it offense. But I just tried to do whatever it took. I could see we both were there pressuring each other's serve to break serve. So when I got that first break, I tried to keep rolling with it.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, I don't know. I have no idea what's going on in her head. But I recall when I was down in the series, and I know what it felt like. I just felt like I wanted to win and to not lose another match. So maybe that's what she's feeling; I have no idea.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, I was okay with it. That's the reality at this tournament, that it could rain. You could see the dark clouds looming, too, so it was kind of a matter of time. But we're really fortunate this last week, week and a half. There's only been a few showers and it clears right up.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Relax, try not to fall asleep. I wake up groggy. I can't move my feet.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, there hasn't been a lot of rain delays here, but I just kind of sit down, relax. If it goes really long, then I have something to eat; that kind of thing.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think it was like half an hour today or 45 minutes, so I just did a little stretching and fell asleep a little bit and woke up (laughing).

VENUS WILLIAMS: I guess the last time I played this well or was able to definitely win these important matches was in Australia or Antwerp. Then I had just a few injuries in between, the last few months, that really kept me off the court. So I haven't been able to practice to be able to be as confident as I normally would be. But hitting the courts and winning some matches, it's nice.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I am low maintenance (laughter). I am not a very stressed out or hectic person, kind of anything goes - not anything, but I'm just an easygoing person. I guess that's why. Plus, I love to sleep. I'm a sleeper. So any time I'm sitting still, I might nod off.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I have to be very careful because it is a stomach injury and you do everything with your stomach, just getting up, lifting your legs. I have to be careful, especially since I am in the doubles. So I'm doing everything it takes to stay healthy.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Not really. I mean, sometimes I can feel it, but I'm -- I don't get to the point of a lot of pain.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I really try hard not to fall asleep because, you know how it is, it takes a while to wake up. You guys don't have to play a match, but I do. My mom always says, "Don't go to sleep." She doesn't know what's happening in the locker room. She would wake me up if she was around. That's how moms are.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Sometimes Serena comes by and nudges me. I don't think she goes to sleep as much as I do.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, she didn't nudge me today. I think the phone rang.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think that if I'm listening to what everyone says, of course it's going to be hard. But I have to listen to what I think, and I think that I had a pretty good year. And it's impossible to be the shining star every time. If so, then I guess it wouldn't be as much fun for the fans.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, what I'm saying, it's impossible to be in the winner's circle every time. You don't learn as much if you don't lose a few times.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I don't use creatine. I'm not sure what the other players are doing. But you're real careful these days, even if it's just -- if someone mixes a smoothie for you at the places where they're mixing smoothies and they're putting stuff, I stay away from all that.

VENUS WILLIAMS: How do I maintain it?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I play, rest, try to eat a good meal.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Sleep (laughing).

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I expect her to play well. She's obviously a very good player. I know I have to play well also.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think my level of play is high enough to definitely play well against any competitor. And at this point, you know, I'm not thinking about winning or losing, I'm just thinking about going out there and executing on my shots and in my game.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think, for sure, Serena just always had the better shot last year, for no matter who she was playing. She always had the right answer. She definitely was very motivated to do well and to win, and that's really what it takes. Sum it up.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, it's all about an attitude thing, for sure.

VENUS WILLIAMS: What?

VENUS WILLIAMS: You mean in the -- do I consider -- the championships?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Okay. I don't consider it a loss, myself. I just, you know, if I had maybe another week or two, I could have played the match (laughing). But they didn't postpone it. But, you know, she played well in those few games we played, but I was pretty much immobile. It was a strange injury because I didn't feel it until a couple of days later. I twisted my ankle. I was just in bed the night before and I felt a burning in my ankle. I said, "What's going on?" It went downhill from there.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I didn't even know she was close. That's the first thing. Obviously, she gets to No. 1, when you get to No. 1, you deserve to be there. So what else can I say?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, I have no idea. I'm not going to put words in my mouth.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I was upset that I took the fall, didn't get up and get the next ball.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I tried. But definitely, especially when you get back there, it's quite green still and I have to be more on my toes next time and not let my heels touch. I don't know why I went down. But either way, you have to be careful when you fall.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, fine so far. Hopefully it won't be another thing where two days later something comes up.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Kim or Lindsay?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Which player?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, I definitely know that her game is similar to mine, to make something happen, to serve well, be aggressive and move forward. I definitely know what she's going to do when she plays. It was just a matter of getting out there and playing my game better than the way she plays her game. For me it's as simple as that.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I definitely count on my movement in every match. I think it's important for me to be able to get those balls and it helps my game a lot. But Lindsay definitely moves a lot better than maybe five years ago, and she definitely runs down a lot of balls and hits well on the run. And she's improved herself in every way.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, I don't know. I'd like to think that every time I won I played a little better. Maybe I'm fooling myself.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, I don't even know what it could be. I don't really see her matches unless she's playing me or Serena. But she's definitely got a really good career so far. I don't find any fault in anything that she's done.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Motivation, extra motivation?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. I don't want any words put in my mouth. But, of course, if I can't do it for myself, then I do it for Serena.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't come to the tournaments just to have a good showing. And if I don't win a tournament, I don't get extremely upset. But I would love to win, just like all the other competitors who are going to be in the semifinals. And I would just have to play to win.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, yeah, it could happen. But I don't give much thought to it on who's gonna knock me off the throne, and who's gonna win more matches against me than the next person. Definitely want to win more matches for myself.

VENUS WILLIAMS: You have to understand, I look at it from a different view than you look at it. I'm looking at it as a competitor and I'm playing everyone, not just one or two persons. You guys, especially since you're from Belgium, you're looking at Kim and Justine. So it's definitely two different views.