WIMBLEDON

July 3, 2000

Serena Williams

MODERATOR: Ladies and Gentlemen, Serena Williams.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I'm feeling okay.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, just okay. I have to feel a little better.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I mean, I wasn't really happy with the way I played today. I didn't feel like I had a really good practise. I didn't come out the way I wanted to.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I wasn't really happy too much with my return game. I felt I was missing too many. But, you know, I can't really complain that much.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I played her enough times now to be ready and focused. I've been aware of it from the beginning of the tournament. I know we're just taking it one match at a time. That's what we both are doing. We're both okay.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I never underestimate anyone. I'm ready to play Venus or Hingis or whoever it will be. I'm playing very well. I'm trying to -- I'm watching a lot of matches, trying each game to stay more and more focused. I just have to take it how it comes.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I've been tested enough. I think I'm just trying to conserve my energy right now.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think I'm definitely playing better here than I was at The Open. I was very erratic there. Too many three-set matches. I think overall, I'm more mentally strong. I'm not making as many errors. I'm just serving -- I don't know, I served pretty well there. I'm serving good here also.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Usually on our days off, we train together. If we play a match, it depends on what time it is. She might hit earlier. We have hitting partners. I might hit later. It depends like that. On our days off, we usually are playing doubles, so we don't hit that long. All the hitting has been done before, all the preparation has been done before Wimbledon. Now it's time for matches and mental preparation.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Maybe (smiling).

SERENA WILLIAMS: No. I don't ever put any pressure on myself. If that's how she feels, I guess it is. I'm ranked a little higher. She's been playing some really good tennis, she has a nice slice. I have to make sure I'm ready.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, it's really exciting.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I mean, American tennis, at least on the female side, is looking up. Venus, I, Lindsay, Capriati, Lilia Osterloh was in it still, Monica. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's McDonald's.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Definitely their cheeseburgers.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Not too much the fries. The cheeseburgers, yeah.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Who knows. First of all, I still have another match to win. I don't know. I guess it's like playing us both twice in a row because we both run very well, we both have big serves, we both are attacking. I don't know. It's like playing the same person who's your nemesis, playing them all over again.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I do. Tennis, it's fun. It's a lot of thinking involved. I'm doing a lot more thinking on the court nowadays. What was the question? I'm enjoying watching it, yes. The English, I'm having a problem finding good programs here. Like I said, Total Recall was on. I fell asleep. I never saw that movie. I wanted to see it. They always have the tennis on BBC-1 and 2, so I get to watch a lot. You can always learn. You can always learn. There's always room for improvement, in life, in tennis, whatever.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I can think of a lot of things, especially some forehands and serves, because I've been doing a lot of watching on those on the men's side.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I never went back, not to that match, no. I never thought about that, actually.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I was really playing well. That's one of the few times I think I played well. Venus said, "I never see you play that well before." It was true. That day, I really wanted -- I guess either I wanted to win or I wanted the 800 or 900 thousand dollars. I'm sure that can motivate anyone. I was fairly motivated. Because she would have only got 800. Since I won the Slam, I would have got slightly more.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think when Venus and I came on the tour, a lot of people went back in the gym, started getting more physically fit, started trying to hit harder, everyone's serve went up, everyone's game actually improved. That's just the bottom line. I think we've basically not only helped lift her game. She saw us and she saw that, "Hey, I want to do better." A lot of people actually improved their games.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm really serious about doing well here. If that's what it takes to have your game face on the whole time, that's what I'm trying to do. I don't want to come all this way to get only so far. I'm really ready to go all the way now.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, we don't, no.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yes.

SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, I think so. I've grown since the US Open. I was shorter at The Open than I am now.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't think I'll grow anymore. But back then, I didn't think I would grow either. But who knows. I mean, some people don't have to worry about growing. Venus and I had to pretty much. You know, it's little setbacks here and there. I don't think I'll grow anymore. The doctors said I wouldn't.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm like 5'10" now. In The Open, I was below 5'9".

SERENA WILLIAMS: I love milk. You saw the ad, right? Milk and McDonald's (laughter).

SERENA WILLIAMS: Not exactly.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I can't think of anything, man. No more funnies.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, we never really played sets - never. Maybe in our whole life, you can take a handful of sets we may have played.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. You'll have to ask my dad really. I don't know. We just usually train, groundstroke, work on different things.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No. In our spare time, we don't go out and say, "Let's go play tennis." We're more like, "Let's go to the beach."

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think so. I'm good at reading pretty much a lot of people's toss. That's one of my specialties. I think my return is really a strong part of my game. I have one of the best returns out there. I'm really capable of reading people's toss.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I try not to mix up my toss. I was watching this one program about Pete Sampras, how he said when he was younger, his coach made him toss the same place, and at the last minute he would say, "Go out wide." I practise on that.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Maybe. It depends. If Venus hits a 127, I would either have to block it back or go in immediately for wrist surgery, move back.

SERENA WILLIAMS: At that point, he doesn't give us any strategy. He just tells us to go out and have fun. At least one of us either win or make it to the next round. We'll have to see.