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WIMBLEDON

June 30, 2009

Serena Williams

LONDON, ENGLAND

S. WILLIAMS/V. Azarenka
6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Serena Williams for you.

Q. Looks like the sisters are on fire this time around, huh?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, we definitely upped our level of game today. We had really tough opponents, so we had to.

Q. You were down a break 3-2 in the second. What's going through your mind there?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I just thought I had been serving not so well to begin the second set, and I thought I had it coming. I thought, I just have to pick up my level of play and just relax and enjoy this wonderful moment.

Q. Have you figured out yet where great tennis like that comes from that you played today?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, you know, I really wanted to do well today. I didn't do well the last time we played. I was not feeling great. And, uhm, you know, I felt like I really wanted to show up today.

Q. You wanted to do it, but you actually did it. So how did you do it?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. You know, years and years of practice.

Q. Everybody is talking obviously about you and your sister again meeting in the final. Athletes say they have to think about the moment; can't get too far ahead. Are you thinking at all about a final against Venus?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No. Right now I'm just thinking about winning my next round, which is another tough match. I'm just thinking about -- usually when I go into a match, I play the winner of this and this, and now it's the final. So hopefully I'll play the winner of Venus' match against Dinara.

Q. In Venus' press conference today there was a sense that Venus and Serena are somehow players apart, that there's a Williams style of game which is different from some of the others. Could you comment about that. What is the Williams style?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know, we have a great game. We have strong serves. I think we have pretty good returns. Just solid all around court players. I think we both move pretty well. So, uhm, I think that's a pretty solid game.
And, honestly, I just feel lucky and blessed to have had such a good coach in my dad and my mom to have taught us this game.

Q. Victoria obviously had a big win over you. When you play a younger person who clearly is on the rise, could be a great star in the future, does that give you something a little extra?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Not particularly. I think what gives me extra is the fact that I want to do well. I mean, this is the quarterfinal of a Grand Slam, and I want to get to the next round. That's pretty much how I think about it.

Q. How much of your success do you put down to talent and gifts, and how much to hard work and good training and the coaching you've had?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I definitely put most of it to hard work and good training. I feel like, you know, I do have talent and I've been really blessed to have some talent, but also feel like I'm not sitting down on my couch never training. I actually work pretty hard at what I do to turn that talent into more talent.

Q. How much of an advantage do you think it is for both you and your sister to get to practice against each other?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, it's an advantage for me, because I feel like when she's practicing she works so hard. I don't play my best tennis in practice whatsoever. So when I practice against her, it's like I can kind of gauge how I am and how I'm doing. It really makes me lift the level of my game.

Q. Can you sit back and appreciate what you and your sister have done? You obviously have to think about the next match and your opponents and all that. Do you ever just sit and marvel at what you two have done?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No. What I think about is I have plenty of time to think about that when my career is over. I never want to become satisfied with what I may or may not have done, because I feel like there's so much more I would like to do. I'm sure there's so much more Venus would like to do, as well. So that's how we look at it.

Q. Athletes will say it's a danger to start thinking about yourself too much, what you accomplished. Was there any advice from either/or both parents about, Don't think you're too good?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't think they've ever had to tell us that. You know, I think myself and Venus, we try to be modest. I don't think like I was like, I'm so good, Venus. I'm better than you, you know.
But I think it definitely helps sometimes when you're down and you're like, Gosh, why am I not hitting this shot? Then that's a good moment to think, Okay, you've done this and this, you know, bring that on the court.

Q. Venus was saying earlier on she feels almost invincible when she steps onto the grass at Wimbledon. Do you feel pretty invincible here, too, because you play like it?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Do I? Great. I don't feel invincible, but I definitely should have that same attitude. I'm going to try to feel that way, too.

Q. You're such a talented shot-maker. Do you think your smarts are sometimes underestimated?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Uhm, yeah, I think so. I think, you know, you can't be just a shot-maker, just a power-maker, and win any Grand Slams. I think it definitely takes, you know, a lot of strategy and strategic moves. Definitely underestimated, but it's fine.

Q. How would you describe the state of your game right now and your level of satisfaction with it?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think the state of my game, it's on a good state. I am definitely satisfied. I think I could still serve a little better and return a little better and just stay in the match the whole way.
Hopefully I'll be able to do that within the next match, and hopefully a match after that.

Q. What are your thoughts on the specific matchup you have next?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I've played her a lot the past 12 months, so I definitely know Elena's game. She gets a lot of balls back, and she's a power player.
You know, it will be a really good matchup to me. She's playing really well on the grass. She hasn't been stretched too much in any of her matches either, so she's kind of like going undercover, you know, and bam.

Q. Six years ago when you were at the top, she was No. 15, you beat her here. What memories do you have of that match, if any, 2003 at Wimbledon?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I don't remember that. I'm gonna YouTube it, though.

Q. How good a player do you feel you are relative to the Serena of the Serena slam year?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think I'm a better player now. I mean, I was young, and I feel like I knew I could improve. I definitely think I'm a better player now.

Q. You just said you're not the type of person to sit down and look at your marvels.
SERENA WILLIAMS: I said mention and think about like, Oh, I've done A, B, C, and D.

Q. Okay. But when the time comes to sit down and look at your marvels, what do you think the first marvel will be?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Uhm, I don't know. I have no idea. I'll just -- I don't know. I think I'll be a little amazed because, uhm, you know, I never even take the time out to even think about the tournament.
I mean, I use some of my trophies for makeup brushes, so, you know, maybe I'll just take a step back and be like, Hmm. Take all the makeup brushes out and really appreciate every title and every trophy.

Q. What trophy makes the best makeup brush holder?
SERENA WILLIAMS: My Indian Wells '03 (smiling). Or was it '01? Whatever year that was.

Q. Do you think the fans are getting value for money in the women's game this year? Three of the quarterfinalists haven't dropped a set. Those matches combined didn't last as long as the Andy Murray match last night.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I definitely think so. I mean, you know, you get to see these female players playing their best tennis not losing a set. I think that's tremendous.
You know, I just think it shows how much these -- it's one, two, three, four I think the seeding, right, that's in the semis? Those top players are really playing their top game, so, yeah, definitely getting your money's worth.

Q. Can you talk about playing the best-of-five-set matches from the quarterfinals on?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I'm ready for five-set matches. On grass it would be fine. I can definitely play five sets.

Q. Did you get a chance to watch any of Venus' match today?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No. I didn't want to get too involved. I was pretty much focused on my game. I didn't want to be like into hers.

Q. Did you see her there in the stands at your match? What sort of feeling do you have when you see her there watching you play?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I always feel good when she's in my matches and she's there. Uhm, I don't -- I might have -- I may have seen her, but I'm not sure. I haven't been looking up so much lately. But I don't remember.

Q. Have you spent time in the past week together, eat meals together and stuff, or are you leading separate lives here at Wimbledon?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, we live together, so I'll see her tonight again.

Q. Did you have breakfast together this morning?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No. She played earlier than me, so she left. We play doubles together, too. We hang out a lot.

Q. Do you ever get bored of one another since you spend that much time together?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Never. Never.

End of FastScripts

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