THE LIPTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 20, 1998

Serena Williams

Q. What was your feeling as to what happened in the second set?

SERENA WILLIAMS: See what happened was in the first set I think I was a little nervous being at home, Florida, and got off -- I didn't get off to a slow start because I won the first game. We were on serve until like 4-All, I believe, and she broke me. But anyway, I don't know, I just tried to -- in the second set I got a lot more balls over the net because I knew if I could do that she would miss.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No. She is playing good. In the first set it was pretty tough for me to do anything there. I was trying to be ready, and she was making great shots. And I was just -- I was just trying to make my shots. It is pretty tough in the first set.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I mean, there is a lot of good people coming up, like Lucic. And everyone is doing good, so -- I would say Lindsay, because Lindsay is really playing good tennis. And every time I play her it is tough, so, I have to be ready when I play her, yeah. Besides Venus, yes, I would say her.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yes. I was going to play Federation Cup this year, but I am not going to be able to because I have to go to school. And since I am on the Tour a lot this year I am going to have to go to summer school because I'm getting behind in Algebra 2.

SERENA WILLIAMS: So I have taken the geometry already, and I am now in Algebra 2. It is pretty tough. I am going to have to go to summer school too. I was going to do it, but...

SERENA WILLIAMS: Not this year.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yes, I would love to play. I actually wanted to play. I don't think I will be able to because I have a lot of school too, and I kind of want to get through with the school so I can play next year.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I go to private school. Probably rooting me on.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I am not going to give the name of the school.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It is in --

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Definitely. Basically my plan is to go on. Because I always want to continue my education. I like to do a lot of other things. Like if I am on the Tour, I can always read a book. There is always a book available for me to read and do some work, so I would love to take some classes in college.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I like to do a lot of things. I like to -- I was skate boarding until I injured my wrist. So I don't do that anymore. I just do a lot of different things. I try to have fun and be a kid.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I never sensed the match was over. I try not to do that until matchpoint is over with, because there is always comebacks available, and -- (Laughter) -- and I always see one -- like if I am behind, I always say, oh, this is available, I can come back if I want to. I try and say this person probably thinks the same thing, even though they might not. I try to say that to make sure I stay concentrated. That is what I do when I get ahead.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. You would have to ask her.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I was thinking -- are you guys going to tell it to stop raining this year?

SERENA WILLIAMS: If you guys tell it to stop raining, I will come.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I have decided when I go on the grass, I am going to serve and volley. There is one man player who plays great on the clay, and then on the grass he actually serves and volleys. And I said, Serena, I have to do the same thing. Because last year on the grass Venus stayed at the baseline. It wasn't so good, as we all know. So I saw this guy, I was like I had to be just like him.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yevgeny Kafelnikov, he plays great on the clay. He actually won the French Open. He actually serve and volleys on the grass. I said, you know, I have to do this too. If he can do it, I believe I can do it. That really helps me.

SERENA WILLIAMS: He won?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I am supposed to finish high school this year. I am a senior this year, but in Algebra 2, since I have so much work to do, I might have to go to summer school and finish that.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, God, I don't know. It is the blues. Algebra 2 blues. Really, I mean, it is hard -- things that you actually -- I can understand some of it you would use in life, but some things you never use, really. I mean, it is really ridiculous: Like physics -- you use physics a lot every day in life. While you are able to walk -- I love physics. It was may favorite subject. But you don't use Algebra 2.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I really don't like it.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Unless you are going to be something like that. It is a nightmare.

SERENA WILLIAMS: My goal this tournament is not to make a footfault because I have been doing that a lot in the past, so wherever I go, singles or doubles, I am not going to make a footfault.

SERENA WILLIAMS: None today. None yesterday.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Every other tournament: Footfault, footfault, footfault. I am not going to make anymore footfaults. Hit a nice big serve, footfault.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I like to keep happy goals, yeah.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It might be a possibility, but you will have to ask me later. (Laughter)

SERENA WILLIAMS: I always keep that in my mind, but I also have to realize that this is my 9th tournament, 8th, 9th, so I have to realize I am just having fun. A lot -- I don't think anyone -- well, maybe a couple of people have done as well as I have done in just a few tournaments like this, so I have to realize that I am just going to go out there and have fun.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, no. No. Because I am glad that they have that lack of tournaments or else I would be even farther behind in Algebra 2.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, I am still taking that. I am ahead in that class. I love zoology and biology, I like that.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I like playing the top players.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think I definitely need to work on that, like, I play some players that I think I can beat and I might have a tougher time with them. So, I think I would definitely need to work on getting my mental edge over them the way I have -- I actually don't -- yeah, I would have to get that mental edge.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I have to be ready. I like playing the seeds.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yes. No, I left my algebra book in Australia. (Laughter) I have someone else's algebra book with me. I left mine in Australia. I was so upset.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Might have been a Freudian slip. (Laughter) Thanks.