WIMBLEDON

June 28, 2000

Serena Williams

MODERATOR: Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen. Serena Williams for you.

SERENA WILLIAMS: At 5-1 -- 5-Love in the first set, seriously I lost focus there. I tried to get it back, but if you lose it like that, it's kind of hard just to bounce right back. I was actually down breakpoint in the next game too.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think both. It's a little difficult to judge how you play when the match is so quick and there's not too many rallies involved in the match. Also I think maybe I just played better, coming to the net more, actually closing out the points. I think overall I've definitely improved from my first round.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I was popping it today. It was amazing. Sometimes I just had to pinch myself. That's how it was going at The Open. I'm glad that it's back. I love just to pop them like that.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, for sure. I think I could have maybe made a little less errors on the return. But, you know, I was going for them. When you go for it like that, you're bound to make some mistakes. Maybe I could have, you know, did little things here and there slightly better.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I mean, maybe, maybe.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Actually, I was looking at an article the other day on me. It said how last year I didn't play the Wimbledon. I had two months off. I came back; I bounced right back to win the LA tournament and US Open. I said, "You know, Serena, you can do this again." Just because I had two months off doesn't mean anything at all. When I looked at, that really encouraged me. I've started playing better.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, not at all. I haven't even began to reach my peak at all. I think there's so much room for improvement; there always is.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yes.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I guess not. But she tried her hardest. That's all you can ask for out of an opponent, just to do your best. She did her best. That's good.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I'm feeling really comfortable. Especially today, I didn't want to stay -- in my first few matches, I don't want to stay out too long. I just want to go out, do what I came here to do, and move on. So that's what I was happy most of all with today.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I like the grass. Did I say it was my favourite tournament?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think I said it was my No. 1 goal, to win Wimbledon now. I like the grass. It suits my game. I have a fast-paced game. I have a nice serve. I can serve-and-volley. I can stay at the baseline. I have an overall game. I think this is the surface for me.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I was waiting for my opponent. I thought she was going to meet us and the guards. Apparently she was already out there. It was just a slight misunderstanding.

SERENA WILLIAMS: To be honest, I brought beads with me. I just forgot to put them in. I had time. Who am I kidding? I have all the time in the world (laughter). I just neglected, more or less, to put them in. Obviously I've had time. Maybe I'll get around to it. I'm not going to put them all in because my hair is too long, just a few different strands.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I mean, I guess there's a lot of action going on around the tour (laughter). I've been away. I missed a little of the action. Every day I see things, my eyes light up, "Whoa, I didn't know." You know, I don't know. I guess it's interesting for tennis for this to happen.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I mean, you know, right now I'm really focusing on my career. Yeah, basically I'm really trying to keep that No. 1 in life. It's really hard if you get involved in a relationship. Next thing you know, your game goes down, all kinds of things happen.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I saw that also the other day. I don't know. I don't recall too many times where I say too many negative things. Maybe I do. I'm just not aware of it. I never recall saying anything negative in the public about anyone. I don't think it's fair. They have feelings, too. If I had, then maybe there was a problem there. But I really don't recall it.

SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, I think maybe because there's a lot of guys out there who have - I don't know what - you know, just say a lot of things. If a lady comes out and says it, it's totally different. If a guy says it, it's acceptable, it's okay. But that's life. That's life.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I can't give you any examples right now.

SERENA WILLIAMS: We definitely have great bodies, yeah (laughter). Nice, slim, sexy shapes. They're right.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, obviously, to go out the way Venus and I have and win in a lot of tournaments, a couple -- a Grand Slam (laughter) between us, a couple doubles Grand Slams, I think that that has definitely grown in our game. I mix it up a lot. I'm able to think a lot on the court. I think maybe before when you're younger, you don't see it as much. Maybe another different person might because we have a different game when we first came out. We have a lot of power, whereas someone else doesn't have the power so they have to do different things. I think that now that we've added that in our game, we're definitely doing a lot better. I think I've definitely added that aspect in my game.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, it's okay. A lot of people have a goal to win Wimbledon this year at this event. Maybe four people who really dream that they can win it. It's okay.

SERENA WILLIAMS: You want an answer to that? Yes (laughter).

SERENA WILLIAMS: It takes a little while, especially now it takes much longer. To bead it now would take like, you know, two hours, two and a half hours.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't . I don't think it would be fair to say that, no, because she's playing pretty well now, she's moving good. I don't think so.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I didn't see the match. I was practising.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I mean, obviously you're off for six months, that's a long time to be away from doing your profession. A lot of the time she wasn't able to practise because of the tendonitis. In my case, I was able to practise a little here, maybe a day off, then a day on. You know, it was totally different. Whereas in her case, it wasn't as much practise incorporated. Maybe that definitely had an aspect to play.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I would say definitely so, she has enough confidence to win this Grand Slam title, the next one or any one that she plays. Both Venus and I, we go out thinking with the attitude that we just believe that we can't lose until we actually get there. Personally, if I go in a tournament, I think I might not win, but maybe I can have a good showing, I'd rather not show up. I'd rather go there thinking, "Hey, can I take this," than maybe, "I can get to the quarterfinals, maybe I can get to the semifinals." We don't like to think that way.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think right now we're in a good situation. Again, that's just in the future. I can't really distinguish what's going to happen in the future. But we have a wonderful coach, my dad and my mom. They have to be excellent coaches to produce what they have; not only one, but two.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I really, really, really like playing first on, finish before the rain, you can get out there, have the rest of the day and the next day off. Who knows. I might see if I have any messages. I don't know. No one ever calls me over here. My popularity has really went down, phone call-wise, that is. Maybe I'll go home and study and think about my match, you know, things like that.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I'm going to watch her match, take a few pointers, might be a future opponent.

SERENA WILLIAMS: We were having a little trouble, but now we're able to go to the village from where we live (laughter), without any accidents. We're making it a little farther each day. It's tough.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Not in our car. Maybe like through the metro - the metro, yeah.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I played on Centre Court before. I saw it.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, it's good. We haven't played doubles in a long time. Really looking forward to playing doubles. We have a lot of fun on the court.

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