US OPEN

August 31, 2004

Venus Williams

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Venus.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. I certainly didn't expect to play that late. But, you know, at least it wasn't raining, so...

VENUS WILLIAMS: Felt good. Felt good. Yeah, felt good.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Thank you.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't go on vacation.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, because like when I'm finished going to tournaments, I go home.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Favorite place... I like all places. I mean, I'd -- I don't want to discriminate. Each and every place has a special memory for me. It would be hard to say most certainly.

VENUS WILLIAMS: It's cool. It's cool.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I tried it on. I tried it on, just the skirt. But my legs were so long, and the skirt was so short on me. But it looked cute. We do try each other's clothes on.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'd like it to be better, most certainly. But it's just it puts in light the circumstances that I've had this year, just the challenges that I've had physically.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Sometimes also it's hard to compete with the girls in front of you that play tons of events. I traditionally don't play too many. Also the ones that I do play, I always get a good result. Since my results haven't been exactly what I've wanted this year... But, you know, considering, it's not so bad.

VENUS WILLIAMS: So many things.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Right, it's like my dad always said he's never lost a match from the stands, so... Basically, when you're doing things wrong, you try to find the solution. Some days there's no solution. You just have to fight it out.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, it's great to be able to look at it afterwards.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, it's definitely part of my training is to look at films, definitely analyze myself, what I've done.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I do come in. I've made a definite effort to come in. But today's points were short. And I felt that I did get some short balls, but a lot of her balls were deep. And she hits it quite flat, so they were low also. But the points weren't very long in general, so either she missed or I hit a winner or I missed. We didn't really get involved in the long points where you do eventually get a short ball.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, not generally. But these days, yes. I think I also understand how to come in. Like back in the day, I'd come in, not really understand my positioning, where I should be, where I should be standing or what I should expect from my opponent. It's just starting to come to me.

VENUS WILLIAMS: What would I have to do? Win the second round. No, it's most vital not to think ahead too far, to be honest. What I need to focus on for me right now is this second round. So I'm not really thinking ahead too far.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't discuss, you know, anything like that in press conferences. I'm sorry.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm going to play a few events in the fall in Europe and play The Championships. I don't know where I am on that, if I qualify. I'm not sure.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm going to play about four events. But right now I feel good, I feel healthy.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, losing my passport. Done that twice.

VENUS WILLIAMS: In Australia and once in Italy.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Got through it. I did whatever, you know, the tourists do. You go to your embassy, that kind of thing. Once I had a copy. So I travel with a copy. But, you know, got through.