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WIMBLEDONJuly 3, 2009Serena WilliamsVenus WilliamsLONDON, ENGLAND WILLIAMS-WILLIAMS/Black-Huber THE MODERATOR: Venus and Serena for you. Q. Just a bit about today's match, how you felt out there? And also, what does it say when you guys don't play all the time and you go out there and basically destroy the No. 1 team in the world? SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I think that we were really ready. We've been playing doubles a lot, even though we don't play every tournament. We actually have that team camaraderie. We've been getting a lot of experience, and we know what to do doubles-wise. Q. This Championships I notice you've made liberal use of the challenge system, something for which you're not particularly well-known for doing. Is that coincidental, or did something actually happen that made you take use of this facility? VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, if the ball looks close and we think it's in, then we challenge it. I mean, it's nothing you can plan. Just challenge when you think you might have a chance for it. Q. Is this the last time the two of you will speak to each other for the next 24 hours? VENUS WILLIAMS: Please. Humor us with something a little more creative. Q. There's been nobody that's challenged either of you either in singles or doubles almost throughout this entire Championships. You've now come up against each other. Your confidence as individuals must be sky high. Have either of you really felt you've been stretched yet, tested here? VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I mean, Serena had a very tough competitor yesterday. I've had to stay on my A game to defeat each competitor. And, of course, in the doubles together we've been so focused, and that's really been the key word this Championship. Our focus has paid off so far. Q. Serena, we all know what a fabulous serve Venus has. If you could have one quality, either on court or off, except for the obvious great serve, what would that be? And, Venus, we all know what a fabulous fighter Serena is. If you could have one quality that she has, what would that be? SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I mean, for me I would just have her positive attitude. I get negative a lot. I think it creates who I am as a person, but it's good to stay positive and stay calm. Q. And, Venus, if you could answer, what quality, aside from Serena's fighting quality and toughness? VENUS WILLIAMS: Uhm, aside from that? That's probably -- you know, I guess I have good fight, too, so... I would probably just pick, you know, her ability to play great on big points. Q. Your dad says this whole tournament you have been winning the Williams way, and that when you play that way you're unbeatable. Can you talk to that. What is 'the Williams way'? A little secret we don't know? SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I think that's the best question for my dad, because he was able to pretty much teach us the Williams way. Q. Venus, as sisters, can you learn off what happens to each other? If Serena has a bad day or a good run or something, can you learn off what happens to her? Does the same thing happen the other way? Serena, if you see things happening to Venus, can you bounce off each other and you learn about what went right and wrong? SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think that was the basis of my whole career, was learning off Venus, especially when she started out and I was in the stands watching. I was able to learn a lot and actually gain experience, even though I wasn't playing the actual matches. Q. Now about Venus? VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, we definitely learn from not only some of the tougher matches, but also from the success. So it goes both ways. We learn from when it's tough and when it's easy. Q. And off the court? VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, absolutely. We try to definitely learn from each other off the court. Q. How is being in the singles final against one another affect your interaction over the next 24 hours? SERENA WILLIAMS: We're used to being in this position now, so we pretty much have it down. Q. Can you elaborate? How does it affect it? SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, there really is no effect, you know. We just live our lives. It's not the end of the world. You know, it's like Sunday, Monday is still going to be here. Q. Quite a lot of doubles together. A lot of the other main players in singles don't actually play doubles. Do you think that has an effect on your run to the singles final? VENUS WILLIAMS: No. When you choose to play doubles you have to be in really good shape, so you just have to be prepared. If you're not, then it can actually affect your singles. But we love playing doubles. Q. Roger Federer just won his match. How much do the two of you talk about Roger Federer? How would you compare what you observe in Federer's game and the way he conducts himself? VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, we don't talk about Roger too much. But obviously he conducts himself as all champions do. He's just a super champion. Q. Serena, would you answer what you admire most when you watch Roger? SERENA WILLIAMS: Uhm, you know, I like how he hates to lose. Q. Venus, when do you feel you really have to lean on your sister? What examples can you say in life generally? VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, just always, I know that she's there for me. Even if we're 10,000 miles apart, I know she's still there. There's never a moment when I don't. Q. When you were young players, did you admire the same tennis heroes or heroines, or did you support someone different? Which ones? VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know what I thought when I was young. I was just living, so I don't know. I was very oblivious as to what was real and what wasn't. Q. Serena, women's tennis in many ways is in good shape, a lot of changes recently. If you could go in and change one thing, what would that be? SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, wow, at this point, I don't think there would be anything I would change. I think it's really exciting. We have exciting players in the top 10. Venus and I are there, too. I think right now women's tennis is just super, super great. Q. Given that so many of the women that you came up playing against have retired, could either of you speak to what you think is the key to your longevity? Has it been primarily smart scheduling or just a genuine love of the game that hasn't gotten old or something else? SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, we really love to play. You know, we just love being out here. We love the competition. It's a great job. It's a privilege to be out here. And we really love that opportunity. Q. Serena, you said yesterday you would have liked your father to watch the final. He's just said he's going to be on a flight back to America. Can you go through the conversation? Did you say, Please, dad, stay and he says, I can't. I can't. SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I said I would like for him to stay for our doubles match, meaning this match today. Q. You didn't expect him to? SERENA WILLIAMS: No, no, no. We booked his flight back already. Q. What do you think the two of you have shown everyone about your relationship as sisters amid the strain of facing one another as competitors? VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, we didn't really have anything to show, to be honest. We bring our tennis on the court and we're just ourselves. That's really all it's about. Q. Does your routine change prematch when you're playing each other? Do you do different things to when you're playing different opponents? The next 24 hours, will your routines change? VENUS WILLIAMS: No, it's the same. SERENA WILLIAMS: No, it's the same. Q. Venus, you were clearly upset yesterday when somebody was asking you about the women's tour. To be fair to you, the men's tour, the Grand Slams have been more one-sided towards two players. Do you think the media is unfair in portraying it this way? VENUS WILLIAMS: Let's face it, life's unfair. Once you accept that, you'll be fine. So I'm not complaining about anything. Q. Serena, you're into surfing. Is that why you think your forehand went to Hawaii yesterday? Have you been in touch with your forehand? What did your forehand say? SERENA WILLIAMS: My forehand is hopefully on a flight. But I don't know. We'll see. We'll see tomorrow. Q. Did you see Melanie Oudin playing in the tournament? What do you think about her? VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I actually didn't. I think I was probably playing at the same time as she was, so, uhm, I didn't get a chance to see her play. But with the success she had, especially at this tournament, it's definitely a confidence booster. Q. Do you have anything you would like to ask one another as you've thought about the press conferences each of you has held during this fortnight on different days and seen each one play? What question do you have for one another at this point? SERENA WILLIAMS: Are you ready to get out of here (laughter)? VENUS WILLIAMS: Ditto (smiling). Q. Of all the meetings, can you say which match you think produced the finest tennis between the two of you? VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm sure for each of us, we probably thought the finest was when we won respectively. So I was very happy the times I won, and I think she feels the same, so yes. End of FastScripts |
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