NASDAQ-100 OPEN

March 30, 2002

Serena Williams

THE MODERATOR: First question for Serena, please.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Pardon me?

SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, I don't know what happened. Usually I make all the easy ones. I got tired of missing the easy ones, but, hey, some days it's just like that.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It's about time I was able to win it. But she has two up on me. In only about five years, she's won three times. She still has bragging rights.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, normally when I play Jennifer we always go three sets. I was really determined - since I had won the first set - I was determined to try to close it out in two. Seemed like I couldn't move my feet for a while. Then it just came through for me in the end. I was determined to just try to win the shots and make some points.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It was a bit similar. I kind of played a little sloppy today too. I don't know, how many errors did I make today?

SERENA WILLIAMS: 59... That is unbelievable. Oh, my God. Man... So, there's room for improvement.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I made the last points and the points that really counted. I really just got there and went in for it. That's way too high. Way too many errors. That's sloppy.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Once I won I was really happy. I was happy not to be going to a third set. It was already a two-hour match, like two hours and, I don't know, four or five minutes. And, yeah, I was really happy. I was like, "Yes," and I wanted to win this tournament. I'd been in the finals before and I lost. I really wanted to win this -- take this title. Since I had beaten Venus, I felt it was my duty to take this title because Venus would have took it herself I believe. So I felt it was my personal duty.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I never heard him shouting anything. Was he?

SERENA WILLIAMS: No...

SERENA WILLIAMS: Maybe I should have. Then I probably wouldn't have made so many errors. But I didn't hear him.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, really?

SERENA WILLIAMS: (Laughing) no, I didn't. I didn't even see him with his camera today. After the match I saw him but I didn't see him during the match. He had it during the match?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I guess I was pretty focused on the court. I didn't see him with his camera.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't -- I'm not superstitious. I don't believe in luck, and I try not to do -- it's hard, though. It's really hard to change your pattern when you're doing well with it. So it's kind of hard. But I try to, you know, do things different. I have a pair of socks that I've been wearing every match. I've never lost a match in these socks so I guess that is a little superstitious. I wore them against Venus. I didn't wear them at the US Open, though. I couldn't find them (laughter). But I found them. They're a little bit dirty.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I wash them after the tournament's over.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, that was kind of cool that we were both out in the red. It was hot, a lot of fire going out there. So that was kind of fun.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think versus Hingis and Venus, my form is where I almost want it to be. Today wasn't quite where I want it to be. But for me to come out with a win, that means my mental game is up where I want it to be in. Tennis is so mental. You might be physically strong and have the game, but if you're not mentally strong, it's going to be hard. So I think it all came through for me this week, these two weeks.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think so, yeah. I'm not winning the shots. I seem to be missing the volleys. But I'm there, and it puts a lot of pressure on them. Yeah, I think that has something to do with it.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I guess you can say -- I try not to dwell on the past too much. So... I guess you can say I can.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think Jennifer will be No. 1 still. Unfortunately, I'm not up there. I haven't played enough tournaments. So you can't count it for week to week.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, yeah, for sure. I hope for sure. Or else that's what I definitely expect to do.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. Yeah. This is a big tournament. Everyone's playing. So...

It's definitely a pretty big milestone, but there's always next week that's another milestone on clay. Clay season starts up. I can't wait to slide and slice (smiling) and, you know, lob.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think when I won in Scottsdale, it really boosted my confidence a lot because I was really ill and I was very tired and I won that. It was really exciting. This week, I guess it kind of boosts my confidence. This is my first tournament I won in straight sets, everything. So, I guess I'm pretty excited about it.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I think we both had a day off the next day. I think when you're playing tennis, you just need to go out there and play. I try not to look at it -- we've had a tough schedule, every player has had a tough schedule. Venus, at one point, had to play four matches in a row, which was unbelievable. I had to play basically eight -- six matches in eight days. She's had some tough -- I think she played two night matches in a row. It's been tough for all of us. But you have to be ready for the conditions. It was kind of -- usually when I come here, it seems like I relax more. But this year seems like I -- I've just been on the court all the time. I always had a match every day. So it was kind of weird. It was really weird.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Look, I don't have time to argue over this. Nothing I can do about it. There's nothing -- they're not going to change their minds no matter what, so I just don't argue calls. If I can't get it, that's too bad. I'll just tell the guy, "Look, for the next time," and maybe I should have hit it back. Maybe I should have went for a different shot. I just don't argue calls.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Not at all. Not at all. I know she had a lot. I couldn't -- to this day, I still can't believe Venus won that match. But, no, I never thought back about it. I just was -- I didn't have time. I was really focused.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, yeah. It's really exciting. I don't have many friends but I have family: My mom, Venus, dogs. So... Yeah (laughing).

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I say that was a big match for me when I won that event and the way I was able to win it. I came back and I really was focused the whole time. It was a milestone for me, and I've just been climbing the mountain ever since.

SERENA WILLIAMS: You know what, it's not really difficult. It's just if you just stay focused and if you want to do it - just if I want to do it, I can do it. You just have to do it. If I don't want to do it, then I'm the type of person that I just won't be focused to do it. As long as I tell myself, "Look, Serena, you need this, you want to do it," then I can do it.

SERENA WILLIAMS: What?

SERENA WILLIAMS: No. No, I didn't hear that one.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. Like I'm the type of person -- I like to shop, but after two hours I'm done. Venus can stay in shops for days - literally. She can just look at one section for three hours. I would look at that section and move on. Like when we do our fashion stuff, I go get like, some - the word I'm looking for is gone, I'm really tired - the things you would attach on to anything --.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Accessories. You look at like a lot of accessories, a lot of rhinestones. I went to the same store in New York that she went to, I was there for like an hour, I was so tired mentally. I was like, "Okay, I'm done. Just give me anything. I'm ready to go. I'll shop on-line." She was like, "Oh, your sister was in here for six hours." I don't know how she does it. I just couldn't do it that long.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, no. Venus has to beg me to go to the grocery store. She always cooks for me, so, you know... The other day she told me to go and I didn't go, and I felt bad because she got home and I had yet to leave. I rushed out and I was back in five minutes without a ticket.