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U.S. OPEN

September 6, 2009

Serena Williams

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

S. WILLIAMS/D. Hantuchova
6-2, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Were you pleased with how you played today?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think I played pretty well today. I stayed focused good, so I think that was good.

Q. Best match so far of the tournament?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think my night match against Czink was really good, so...
Yeah.

Q. Does that mean you're getting much better as the tournament progresses?
SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, I traditionally play really well in my fourth-round matches. I just want to keep this level and just stay focused and play well my next match.

Q. What is your assessment so far? What is your assessment so far about outlook on tennis for the 2009 US Open?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Still in the tournament. I'm still hoping and trying to do well. Hopefully I can get there.

Q. Are you into like anniversaries at all? Is it significant for you at all that it's been 10 years since you won your first major here? And in general, does it mean a lot to come to New York, the site your first major happened?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, it's been a long time since I won my first major now. I should throw a party to celebrate 10 years. It's cool.
I mean, obviously I thought about it. I'm still excited to be in the game and still be here.

Q. So many of the prodigies that came along at the same time that you and your sister came on aren't around. How do you maintain the motivation, energy level, the mental, you know, fortitude to just play at that level and continue to come and be hungry to win championships?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I enjoy playing every moment. I enjoy walking out there, and I like the battle. I think I'm blessed to be in this position to have, you know, traveled the world and play tennis and do something that I love.
You know, I just try to look at it like that.

Q. Can you remember what it was like to be 17 and be here chasing that championship at the Open the first time?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I remember every moment. Every match I played that year. Usually I can't remember who I played last year, but I remember every one of 10 years ago.

Q. Have you had much chance to watch Melanie Oudin play? What are your observations so far?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I've seen her play obviously a lot. I think she's a good player. She'll be a great player. You know, I love how she's a real big fighter and she never gives up. She's good.

Q. What are specific assets that she brings if you had to break down what you've seen so far?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, she's fast, she hits the ball well on both sides, and she has a great mental game, which I think is really important.

Q. Did you have the opportunity to watch her match against Maria? And if so, what impressed you most about that one?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I saw a little bit against Maria. I, you know, didn't see too much. But like I said, I think she has a good mental game, which is really important.

Q. The No. 1 seed lost yesterday evening. What is your opinion about that?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I didn't even see that result until this morning, so I haven't thought much about it. I'm not focused on who wins and who loses. I'm just focused on hopefully what I can do.

Q. I know that in the past previously, sometimes in a tournament, you know, you start sometimes very strong. But in this tournament, 2009 US Open, you know, you have some kind of consistency with the game today. You were a little more aggressive, but very consistent. Is that something that we're going to see all through the tournament, or is this just because you're trying to prove something different to your game at the 2009 US Open?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I hope it's something that you'll see more consistency. I thought that it was good. I actually felt I got off to a slow start, but maybe I didn't. So hopefully I'll be able to continue this.
This game is already over with, though. I'm just looking forward to my next round.

Q. Oudin said she remembers growing up watching you and Venus. When you consider that you're still young and still playing and still winning Grand Slams, what feeling do you get when you hear a player doing so well said they watched you when they were growing up?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I don't think about it. I feel like I'm super young and they might have been watching someone else. (laughter.)

Q. Do you know Sloane Stephens at all? Did you follow her story from a couple of days ago?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I know -- I know Sloane, yeah.

Q. She's a junior. Her father passed away. I was wondering if you knew her.
SERENA WILLIAMS: I didn't know that.

Q. You had some personal tragedy in your own family...
SERENA WILLIAMS: I had no idea. I didn't know that at all. I definitely will -- I'll send out my prayers to her and her family at such a tragic time.

Q. Safina, because the day session ran long, her match was supposed to be the first on at night on Ashe got moved to Louis Armstrong. She was disappointed in that. She thought it was disrespectful that the women's match got moved. Any opinion on that? If placed in a situation like that, would you be upset?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, why didn't they move the men's match again? They were second on.

Q. She said they told her they wanted to give fans the chance to see a best-of-five-set match and they moved her to Armstrong.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think that was just a good thing to tell her to silence her at that moment. But I have to take her side on this. I think that she was first on. She should've played at 7:00.
They should have moved the men's match. Simple as that, that's how it should be done. If you're supposed to play a match, you're supposed to play it, and then you move the next match.

Q. Is the slogan on your T-shirt, is that indicative of where you are in this tournament or what you're doing in this tournament?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Um, what is it today? (laughter.)
Delicious, ambitious. I told you guys I'm delicious. This is a new Delicious campaign for Nike, and they made some great shirts for me to wear. I'm excited to wear them and be a part of them.
Today I am vicious and I was ambitious.

Q. Are you surprised at all by the number of big seeds that have gone out of this tournament?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I think everyone is playing so well. Some of the seeds have been struggling all summer, so...
Just you can't underestimate anyone. You have to be ready for every match.

End of FastScripts

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