WIMBLEDON

June 30, 2005

Venus Williams

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Venus Williams.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I played a lot of good matches in me I career. So at this moment in time, I haven't really had a chance to compare them. I can't say that I actually do, after matches, compare matches to others. I played some great matches in Wimbledon semifinals before, including 2003 when I got injured. This also was a good one. You know, I did have some errors. But I think the good play did balance that out.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, it's very good, it really is. Really my whole goal for this tournament was just to play one round at a time and do the best that I could in each round. My play has just gotten better with each opponent, and my level has raised with however my opponent was playing. And, yeah, it's satisfying, but I've always felt that I can play at this level. I just gave myself the opportunity at this tournament to do it.

VENUS WILLIAMS: For sure. It's just about going out there and doing it. I trained hard. I guess I can't quite explain it. I think you'd understand it better if you've been out there and done it before.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Pumped up? When I get out there, I'm just trying to stay calm and even. That's my whole thing. For me the whole match is not over till it's over. So a lot of times, yeah, I get really excited or pump my fist. But today for me was just one point at a time, just sticking to my game and not getting off and losing focus of what I needed to do. So the end of the match, at that time was the arrival of getting pumped up.

VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, I was fairly healthy at the French, but I did have a shoulder problem from April that I couldn't really serve. So that really threw my game off. I just had a bad day. Obviously she was a good player, but she didn't throw anything at me that I hadn't seen before.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, uhm, being healthy is very important because it gives you the opportunity to train. All last year I didn't really have the opportunity to prepare because I never was quite healthy. Probably made a lot of bad decisions to go out and play tournaments. It's the past now. But I have had the opportunity this year to gather strength and gather a rhythm and get the opportunity to train, even when I didn't play as well as I wanted to, at least I had the chance to go back and keep training. Whereas in the past, you know, 2004, I didn't really have that chance. I would even be in practice and say, "Okay, today I've got to work on serves first because I'm probably not going to last longer than an hour out here." Everyone has their trials and tribulations.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I would say no because I put tennis first in my life. I wake up in the morning, go to practice, go to the gym, train, and give my best effort. The other things that I do are because it makes me happy. I think it complements my tennis and also makes me work harder because I realize it's not easy also in the real world. But I think my world also is as real as it gets.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Wouldn't you like to know (laughter)? She was very encouraging.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Not really today. In my last match, I didn't really know the score in the tiebreak. I knew when I needed to switch, but I didn't really know what the end score was when I finally won the match also. I just knew when I was down set point or when I had match point. But today, no, I did realize the score.

VENUS WILLIAMS: The ball's bouncing tricky on this court. So a lot of times when you get there, the ball's low. I'm used to hitting the ball here, and when I got there, it was here (lower). So I just overhit a little bit. I needed to add some spin. It was just a technical thing that happened. I wasn't too stressed, but I wanted that point, obviously, and the weather was getting bad. I was trying not to focus on the weather, just on the tennis. I wanted that break. I wanted to win the match there. I got blessed, it happened.

VENUS WILLIAMS: That's tennis. She played a good game. I was up 5-3. She played a good game. I didn't feel like I did anything too wrong. I came in. She hit a great passing shot. I think on the one breakpoint against me, I made an error. That was probably even a little forced. She hit a great shot. I just had to start from there. Even if I would have lost the first set, I would have started from there to go to the second and to the third. So for me I realize you make mistakes, sometimes you don't get it, but you just keep going. That's what it was.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, not at all. No. There were times when I was -- sure I was disappointed in how I played because I knew I could play better. But all things in good time. Everyone has their moment in the sun. That's what my mom always says, "Everyone has their chance." And, obviously, at each tournament I feel like, sure, it was my chance. But everyone has a chance. Everyone gets to play well. Everyone gets to win sometimes. Even though I'd like it to be me every time, this is almost impossible.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. Well, I mean, I wasn't in like a major tiebreak like in the last match. I really felt like, sure, I was fighting, but I felt like I was going to get the win for sure, because even though she was playing really well, she would have had to break me twice, which is kind of tough, especially on grass. I was really focused and really happy.

VENUS WILLIAMS: After the match, yeah, I was like, "Okay, you can stop focusing now, have a little bit of fun." After the match, I always try to enjoy myself, whether it's a final or whether it's the first round. I always like to enjoy it.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I played Lindsay in a couple Grand Slam finals. I guess Amélie is trying to make her first Wimbledon. I just got blessed that I finished my match. They'll be back tomorrow. I'm sure the best player will win.

VENUS WILLIAMS: How do I see it? It's so close now. I guess Lindsay somewhat has the momentum.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, fairly well. I think as long as I keep my eye on the ball, I really play well, as long as I do that.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.

VENUS WILLIAMS: It's Reebok. I guess it's available in the UK and the USA.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Fabric? It's like a Lycra/spandex blend.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, my game has been improving step by step. Those other matches that we played, yeah, she played well, but I felt like I didn't play my best. I knew that obviously it would be important for me to play a little bit better. But I just wanted to be relaxed out there more than anything.

VENUS WILLIAMS: We weren't ready to go on court because the other players, they knew they would go on court. We didn't know right away that we would be switched. I was glad that we got to stay on Centre. It's a great court to play on. It's obviously where I wanted to have all my great moments in my career. But, no, I'm quite used to the rain. It is what it is.

VENUS WILLIAMS: It's important to start off pretty well. That always works. I think at the end it's about -- it doesn't matter who's across the net. I doesn't matter what they hit. It's all about you. It's about what you're going to do. It's about you focusing on what your plan is and doing the right thing, even if that means taking the L.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, that was a good time. It really was. Now is also a good time, too. I don't know. It was a little while ago. I don't remember exactly.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think the people were afraid under there. I think he's still the same weight, so it should still hold up.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, it's just practicing and practicing to do the right things. Just a couple things in my game that go off when I'm not playing well. Zina is always emailing me. "You play well." Of course, she keeps even distance, she's Fed Cup captain, but she always says, "Just play well," those kind of things. So I try to take encouragement from that. I was just trying to play better with each match. That was all. That was really it. Trying to go forward with each match. Even if I don't play as well as I wanted to, I tried to think about the positive things.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think it may not be relevant actually. Serena was under some circumstances that were tough.

VENUS WILLIAMS: It's just different. Each time is a blessing, for sure. It's important to do it the first time, to get the experience. It's important to do it the next time because you want to. I think each time, it's just as good.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Just a little bit. She called me and said, "Can I have your autograph?"

VENUS WILLIAMS: That's how we're always joking, though. We're always joking like that. We're always doing this kind of thing back and forth. So when she leaves, it's definitely -- we still have fun, but it's not the same.

VENUS WILLIAMS: The serve is so important. It's where the game starts from, where you're dictating from. For me to be able to serve well is important because you don't work as hard. And, sure, you have to expect the ball's going to come back, but usually it's a little bit easier to start from a good serve.

VENUS WILLIAMS: A little bit of everything. A little bit of everything. We always encourage each other. We always want to see each other do well and we motivate each other. I emailed her and said, "I just wanted to be like you."

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, as soon as I got off the court, they always say I have to get in here real fast. Do a cool-down, try and stretch, then race in here as quick as I can.

VENUS WILLIAMS: She called me. She emailed me. Things like that.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think many people have had this place: Navratilova, Graf, Billie Jean King, all those people. It's just something that's rented, that's for sure. But for me it's just still one match at a time. Final, third round, whatever. Tournament's not over yet.