NASDAQ-100 OPEN

March 27, 2005

Venus Williams

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Venus, please.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Thank you. Thank you very much (smiling).

VENUS WILLIAMS: My return is one of my best shots. That's the shot my dad's always emphasized since we were little kids. Just you need a great return game, hold serve, be able to break. And I'm of course getting a better rhythm, better and better this year.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, just all last year I had a hard time keeping my balls in because I never really was able to play my game because I never was able to get a good amount of practice because I was usually pretty injured. So this year I've had a much better chance to hit, and so I can hit it with a better velocity and keep it in so I don't have to take so much off my shots. Now I'm just striking it. You know, that's one of my assets. I don't know where I get the power from because it's not like I have tons and tons of muscles, but I got blessed, I guess.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, normally - especially in women's tennis these days - if your opponent only gets two games it usually says that you were on or they were off. I think in my case I played a good game. I had a couple breakpoints against me and some close games. I feel like I won those important points and always returned her best shots. That can be frustrating.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, my first match was quick, but I didn't get to hit a lot of balls. I felt like I would hit a shot and it was like one or two shots and the point was over. But today I did get to hit a lot of balls - high balls, short balls, low balls, lots of returns - so that was good. The score line didn't show the intensity in which I had to play in order to get that score line. She played very well, and she's a great player.