WIMBLEDON

June 27, 2001

Serena Williams

MODERATOR: Questions, please.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, today in the first set, I was just wanting to come to the net a bit more and try a different game I've been practising. I decided in the earlier rounds, if you know maybe you have a good chance against a player, you know, try something different.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, I just decided that I'd rather get off sooner than later (laughter).

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I wasn't playing very well today. It's an earlier round. The match is over with. Nothing I can do about it. I'm going to practise really hard and work for the next round.

SERENA WILLIAMS: You can only imagine what I have the potential of doing.

SERENA WILLIAMS: We have it in America. I've seen those tabloids in the grocery store. They're there, for sure. Trust me, I know about it. This country, they like a lot of gossip. Everyone is trying to sell a paper. You have to do things to sell a paper and make that money these days.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, no. I only look at the pictures. I like to look at the pictures. If it's a nice picture of me, I'll keep it. Sometimes it might even be a picture of something I did well, if I'm not looking at the ball. I like to look at the pictures a lot. That's it. I don't get involved in that.

SERENA WILLIAMS: What type of problem does she have?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I have pictures of my dogs in my purse. I look at them every day. I don't want to talk about it.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't think I'm using them for practise. I never said I was using them for practise. But I just think that maybe in the earlier rounds, I have a chance, maybe I should work on coming in like I want to when I get to the later rounds. Hopefully coming in and playing more of a grass court game. So, yeah, I think for sure you need to come in to win here. You're not going to win rallying 20, 30 balls over the net.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I definitely feel comfortable. My volley is looking a little better. I feel comfortable coming to the net. So, yeah, I've always had good hands and just good hand-eye coordination.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think maybe I had too many easy matches last year, and I got a tough match, and I just went ballistic. It's over, said and done. I missed a great opportunity then because I didn't get to play singles in the Olympics, so I was really disappointed. But, you know, this year, there's nothing I have to worry about. I'm just going out there one match at a time. I have two down. I'm just taking it one match at a time, take every opponent very seriously because people, they want to win also. Fight, just go for the plate.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think so, for sure, because I was in that situation before. You learn out of everything.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Let's see. Well, there's so many things. You know what, actually I like the fans in England. Usually, like in Paris, I always seemed to play French girls in Paris. In England, it's really nice here. I like the support and the atmosphere here. I like that. I like the fans.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I couldn't. But, you know, I never underestimate those fans (laughter). I leave that behind. That's all said and done. It's been real and it's been fun.

SERENA WILLIAMS: If I wasn't, I wouldn't be here right now. That's for every tournament that I play. If I don't feel that way, then there's no need for me to play. It's time for me to retire at that point.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I'm taking it one match at a time. My serve, it's really looking a lot better. I'm really working hard on it. If I didn't believe it, I wouldn't be here.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, I didn't play well at all last time. I'll just have to play better. You know, she's playing pretty good. I just need to come out and perform. Last time I didn't even perform. I should have been taken off immediately. I don't want to talk about that either (laughter).

SERENA WILLIAMS: Not quite. I'm almost finished. A lot of twists and turns in it. Getting a little weird. I should be finished by next time. I'll be definitely starting a new one.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, no. I hope not.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'll pass. I don't want to get quoted anything. I'll pass.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't quite understand your question.

SERENA WILLIAMS: For me, it served as a great inspiration because we both grew up together practising on the same courts, the same thing, every day working really hard. Obviously when she was doing very well, I wanted to be there. I saw everything she was having, getting. I wanted it also. I wanted to be up top. I wanted to be a player. I wanted to be a Grand Slam champion. I wanted to be the best. That's what I'm still trying to work for. I'm glad I didn't shrink.

SERENA WILLIAMS: There's Jackie and Bambi.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Jackie is a little Jack Russell, my little girl. Bambi, he's a pit bull. He's my son.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yes. Anyone think about coming to my home, you know.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Pete has a broken heart.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think so, yeah. But then you still have Martina Hingis, she doesn't hit the ball hard, but yet she's No. 1 in the world; she wins a lot of matches, consistently getting to the semis. But I think naturally the game is meant to change. I think Martina Navratilova added a little more power, added serve and volley to the game. Monica Seles came along, hit it even harder. Definitely there's more power to the game. But every now and then there might be a player that has more finesse. I think that's going to kind of play out a little bit maybe.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm a firm believer that if you're mentally there, you're mentally stable, you really -- it's more mental than physical. I have always thought tennis is 80% mental and 20% physical. I still believe that. That's my personal belief. I think if you're really there, really determined, you have a little talent, it's going to be hard to stop you. Mission impossible.

SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, I'm really not quite sure because I've always played with a lot of power. You might have to ask one of the players that are more finesse.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, we do not have a grass court at home, no. We don't.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think it's very important. I think to put in a dropshot every now and then, you can win a free point. It could be set point, you really need it. All of a sudden, hit a dropshot, there you have it. I think it's a very important shot. I try to use it quite often.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Maybe. Obviously, yeah, for sure, yeah. Also I think maybe you can use it if someone is at the net, you can lob over them with a nice finesse shot.