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July 4, 2008
LONDON, ENGLAND
WILLIAMS-WILLIAMS/Dechy-Dellacqua
6-3, 6-3
THE MODERATOR: Serena and Venus for you.
Q. Serena, how is your leg feeling now?
SERENA WILLIAMS: My leg is good. Yeah, it's really good.
Q. No problems in the course of that match for you?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I had no problems in doubles today, so that's really good news.
Q. Did your dad decide to leave today? If so, did he say anything before leaving about your doubles and your singles competitions?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, he went home. He always tries to give us the best of advice, so I'm sure he said something to Serena, I guess. She didn't tell me, but basically he's coach all the way through.
Q. Serena, anything you'd like to share?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No. He said he did his job and his job was done, so I guess he's feeling good. No matter what happens he's for sure going to be a winner.
Q. Where will he be when you're playing the championship match, if you know?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I assume he'll be in Florida, because I knew he flew back to Florida. I don't know if he'll watch it, but I know he'll be there.
Q. You've dominated this tournament. Two finals tomorrow and day after tomorrow. It's the first time in 42 years since Althea Gibson. In this tournament there are no African American players except for you. What do you think of it? Do you have any idea?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, we just try to celebrate world spirit, so we feel like we are carrying the banner for good people around the world.
Q. Do you think there's anything that can be done to encourage more African American players on to the tour?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Hopefully Serena and I will keep winning and that will be some encouragement to all good people.
Q. Can you recall an occasion when you've played doubles together the day before you're due to play each other in a Grand Slam final? Can you tell us if there has been a case, whether there are any unique feelings about that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. I'd have to sit back and think about it, but I don't know.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Must have been the last time we played Wimbledon. Maybe in '02 or -- maybe '02. I don't know. But it's good. It's good practice for our singles. We're just enjoying every moment.
Q. You haven't played a major final in five years. Has this gotten any easier? As an outsider, it always seems strange. First time you did it, did it feel differently than it's going to feel tomorrow?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Uhm, I think that the opponent hasn't gotten any easier, that's for sure. So, uhm, it's gonna be a battle again. That's just how it is.
We're going in there playing, for me, the best player - and I hope for her the best player - so it's gonna be a tough match.
Q. Emotionally is it quite a bittersweet experience playing each other in a Grand Slam final?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I think this is what we've been aiming for. We haven't reached this achievement in a few years now. This is what we're always aiming for, and it's great that it happened.
Q. In a way, is it easier that one of the you didn't have to knock the other out in an earlier round? When you see each other on opposite sides of the draw, is it in a way better for you because you know that when you finally do meet it would be at the pinnacle for both?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Absolutely. That's the only thing I look for in the draw, is to see if we're on opposite sides. I think it definitely makes it a lot easier for us both.
Q. How often do you talk about tennis, generally?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Never, really. No.
SERENA WILLIAMS: There's so many other things to talk about.
Q. What will you be talking about from now till the final?
VENUS WILLIAMS: There's a few things to clear up outside of tennis that we're going to be discussing (smiling). We'll figure it out, though.
Q. No arguments, though?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. We refrain from that.
Q. How will it work tomorrow? Will you be together the whole day, breakfast, practice together?
SERENA WILLIAMS: We live together, so I assume we'll be together.
Q. Will you travel together to the court?
SERENA WILLIAMS: We usually get two cars. We usually travel separate, but for the most part we'll definitely be together.
You know, we're used to it. We're just excited to be in the final, and we think it will be a great match. We think that we're finally, you know, getting the results that we deserve and that we hoped for.
Q. You mention you think it will be a great match. Have you spent any time, either of you, looking at the tapes of previous matches? If so, what have you seen that you think either made them good or not so good matches?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I looked at my tapes of my previous match just to see what I can do better, where I can ameliorate. That's what I look for in general.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I like to look at mostly matches that I won.
Q. Serena, were you referring to matches against Venus or previous matches this week?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I was referring to previous matches this week.
Q. How about matches you've played against one another. Have you either alone or together looked at matches that you've played each other in?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, a couple months ago they had my match against Venus in Australia on ESPN classics. I guess I TiVo'd it. I saw it. It was pretty intense.
Q. What did you think?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I thought, Gosh, I should have made some easy shots I missed. It was frustrating. I thought it was such an intense match.
Q. Have either of you watched the matches here at Wimbledon that you played against each other? If so, what goes through your mind about them?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I personally haven't.
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, it was a long time ago.
Q. You're two very different personalities. Venus, you like to read books. Serena likes to watch videos. What book are you reading and what film are you watching at the moment?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't remember the name of the book I'm reading right now. I'm just on the first page. We'll see what happens.
SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm trying to watch 10,000 BC. I rented it on my computer.
Q. You're going into this match both having won many titles. Do you think it would feel differently if you were both going for your first Grand Slam title here?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, we've never been in this situation, so we can't answer. I won my first Grand Slam almost 10 years ago, and Venus very soon after that.
So this is like we're just going for history now, trying to make the history books that we definitely want to be a part of and stamp our name in those pages.
End of FastScripts
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