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MEDIBANK INTERNATIONAL

January 15, 2009

Serena Williams

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES

E. DEMENTIEVA/S. Williams
6-3, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Was there a bit of fatigue after the late night last Nate.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Maybe. I don't know. I wasn't moving as I wanted to today.

Q. How did you find the heat?
SERENA WILLIAMS: It was okay. I didn't get too hot until the second set actually when the sun came out a little more. Other than that, I was okay.

Q. How would you sum up your preparation in Sydney this week for the Australian Open?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I felt good. It was good to have a few matches under my belt getting ready for Melbourne. I feel like I'm going play a lot better than what I did this week.
Yeah, my main goal obviously is to go to Melbourne and do the best that I can do.

Q. How does your body feel? Your ankles were troubling you last night, and you came in with concerns about your hamstring.
SERENA WILLIAMS: My body is feeling really good. I had my ankles super-taped today, so that was much better. It's doing really good.

Q. What was going through your head there in that second set? She sort of just took it away from you?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I gave it away more than anything. I made a lot of errors and made her look like a champ, really. I just pretty much gave her the match.

Q. Do you think you'll be able to do better next week?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I just feel like that's just me positive thinking, most of all. That's just how I feel, so there's really no answer.

Q. Elena has been around for a while but hasn't won a Grand Slam. What does she have to do to take the next step?
SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, I don't know what she has to do. I just know my results and what I can do.

Q. Do you feel like she's improved in the last six or seven months as a player, or is she still where she's always been?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I mean, I guess she's improved.

Q. Who do you think might win out of those two, Safina or Dementieva?
SERENA WILLIAMS: If Dementieva played the way she did today I would say her, only because I haven't seen Safina play this week.
Obviously she's doing really, really well too. I think it'll be an interesting final.

Q. When will you fly to Melbourne? Tomorrow? Tonight? Practice with Venus? What will your plans be?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I'll definitely go -- I was going to try to go to tomorrow. I was going to go on Saturday morning. That's when my flight was booked, so I guess I have to try to change it.

Q. Who is the favorite for the Aussie Open?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I would say either Murray or Nadal. You never can count Roger out, so...
Those three.

Q. And in the women's?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Obviously myself and Venus. You know, probably the top four ranked players.
So, yeah.

Q. Do you think Jelena Jankovic really is No. 1? In your mind, is she the best player in the world?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Best player, pardon?

Q. In the world.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, no. I don't think anyone is better than -- I would feel crazy sitting here being a professional tennis player and saying that someone is better than me.
Yeah, she's ranked higher than me. I don't care if I was 1000 in the world, I would still feel like I was the best. You know, that's just me trying to be positive with myself.
Hopefully she feels that way herself.

Q. Given your sequence of wins in the Australian Open, the odd years, is this your year again?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I'm just -- if I play a little better, hopefully it will be.

Q. Do you think that's part of the reason why you've won some tournaments, and even Grand Slams in difficult or unlucky positions, because of your confidence?
SERENA WILLIAMS: For me, I believe in me. Like I said, I don't believe anyone's better than me. When I talk to Venus she says the same thing. It's a really weird conversation.

Q. She thinks your better than her as well?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, no, no. Yeah, she's -- but, I mean, that's just -- it's kind of like if you're -- whatever you do, you have to believe you're the best if you want to be the best, if you strive to get there. So that's just kind of how I do.

Q. There anything that does dent your confidence, reduce your confidence?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I mean, I'm not superwoman. If I'm not playing well, obviously I'm not feeling that great about it.
But I just try to speak positive, and hopefully that will kind of carryover.

End of FastScripts

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