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WIMBLEDON

July 1, 2010

Serena Williams

LONDON, ENGLAND

S. WILLIAMS/P. Kvitova
7-6, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, Serena Williams for you.

Q. Were you worried at all?
SERENA WILLIAMS: About? Worried about?

Q. The match, how it was going early.
SERENA WILLIAMS: No. I try not to worry too much out there. It's not the time, you know.

Q. A little bit?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No. Uhm, not at all. I think when you're out there, for the most part, I think anyone really is just like, Okay, I'm just gonna try to do this now or try to do that.

Q. When you got down a break, what are you thinking? I got to break back as fast as I can or just let the match go as it goes?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I always think I have to break back, hopefully sooner than later. I think, Well, should have held. I had a chance. I screwed it up myself.

Q. How do you describe the difference between the two sets?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Uhm, I think I took my points better in the second set. I had some opportunities, you know, to not lose serve in the first and then make some key shots. I could have broke.
But, granted, she served really well. So it wasn't very easy, but I still had some opportunities that I probably could have capitalized on.

Q. You had your shoulder taped yesterday in doubles. Was that just preventive or was there a problem?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I had hit too many aces, so... My shoulder was done, so just trying to recover (smiling).

Q. You had 80 aces for the tournament. Venus is second at 30. That's a pretty huge gap. Can you talk about that number of aces.
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I honestly can't. I didn't serve that many aces today. But, uhm, honestly, I've never served that many aces, so I don't know.
It's just really weird. I'm really excited. But it's just really cool.

Q. How strange would it feel to be in a Wimbledon final without your sister on the opposite side of the net? Won't be any easier, will it?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, it definitely won't be any easier. But, you know, I obviously want Venus to do the best, but she wasn't able to get to the final. That was several days ago. Vera did really well. She's playing excellent.

Q. Venus goes out one day; Roger goes out the next day. Any thoughts at all about what's happening, and might it happen to me?
SERENA WILLIAMS: The only thing, if I go out, at least I went out with some great champs, you know. I was in good company.

Q. How do you see your game going into this final as opposed to other finals in the past?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I'm hoping to still peak in the final. I won't know until I play. Hopefully I can serve better than I did today and just be more consistent off the ground, and, uhm, just do a little...
In the final, you really want to play your best and hope for the best.

Q. Was there a point in your career when you realized you could almost always rely on your serve? How did it get to this point where people on TV are calling it the best shot in women's tennis? How did you develop that consistency?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think that -- I don't know. Several years ago when I would be down like 30-40, I would serve a big serve and it would bring me back. Or I would be down Love-40 and I would be able to serve some great shots and it would really bring me back into the game.
I think I've always relied on my serve to be good and to be, uhm, really strong. But, uhm, I don't know. I think in the eve of my serve's career, it's just gotten better, which is always a plus.

Q. Your third career?
SERENA WILLIAMS: In the eve of my serve's career. Or my career. What did I say? I don't know. I'll have to look at the transcript.

Q. What's the biggest danger for you going into the final?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Just putting too much pressure on myself, I think. On paper it looks like I should win. But Vera, I've played her several times; she's beaten some good people. Her last two matches she's been down a set, so she's obviously a fighter. She never gives up.
So I think that will be -- the biggest thing, is for me to stay positive and not put too much pressure on myself.

Q. How would you describe her game? What does she do best?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I don't think she does anything terrible. I think that's the best way to describe her game. She does everything good, so...
It's tough playing a player like that who doesn't really have one real weakness and everything pretty much is a strength, from her forehand to her backhand to her movement.

Q. After you and Venus lost the doubles yesterday, you didn't come to a press conference. Today a fine was announced. Can you describe your explanation for not doing a press conference and your reaction to the fine.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, I didn't know about that. I just found that out right now, thanks to you.
I was unaware. We never do doubles press conferences, in general, from the first round to the second, third, quarters. In the French, we didn't do a doubles press conference after the quarters or the semis.
In Australia, we didn't do doubles press conferences. Only usually in the finals they only ask, so I'm shocked to hear that.

Q. How would you prepare for the final, because it's going to be different? How do you normally prepare if you're playing your sister? It's going to be different playing someone else. Will there be changes in your preparation?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think there will definitely have to be changes. So, uhm, you know, you can't face the same opponent with the same thing. You always have to come with something new.

Q. You said that Vera doesn't do anything terrible. Is there anything in tennis that you do terrible? Is there anything in life that you do terrible?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, uhm, hmm. I don't know. I mean, I don't know. Yeah, that's a good question. I'm stumped.

Q. Do you tend to sleep well before a final like this? Do you just ease into it or do you really feel it churning inside?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I'm an excellent sleeper. That's something I do really well.

Q. Were you unaware that members of the press had requested the press conference? Do you expect to appeal the fine?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, no, every time they come -- someone will come get you for a press conference. You'll go, No, that's okay. That's what we always do. We'll give them a quote, and usually that's enough.
This is all brand-new.

Q. Would you want to appeal?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I just hope it's not $92,000.

Q. $4,000 each.
SERENA WILLIAMS: I said I hope it's $92,000.

Q. How old were you when you first learned that there's such a place as Centre Court Wimbledon?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Uhm, I was -- I don't know. I was really young. I don't know. I remember just watching people like, you know, the greats play here.
Obviously, I remember watching Zina actually because she got to the final one year and that was huge. We were really excited to see something like that happen.

Q. Do you feel more comfortable playing on Centre Court or Arthur Ashe?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Uhm, they're both center court.

Q. Wimbledon or the US Open?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, I don't know. It just depends. The grass is so weird. You know, it's just different. And it's so much history here. The US Open is so big and it's so loud and it's so New York. So you have to choose which one you prefer.

Q. The feelings that you have, let's say day of leading into the match, do you think they'll be any different this year because you're so heavily favored?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No. Only difference is, like, I have to not put pressure. I've been in this situation before where I did put pressure on myself and actually ended up losing. I learned from that hopefully.
Win, lose or draw, I'm happy to have gotten this far.

Q. When was that?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Uhm, I don't know.

Q. Unless I'm terribly mistaken, I think we've gone through a fortnight without discussing your dazzling manicure fingernail job.
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I don't think so.

Q. Has it helped you in any way with your incredible performance here? How would you assess the job?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I just like to have pretty nails, so... That's it.

Q. Will you curtsy if you win the final?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Uhm, I don't know. Uhm, yeah, I will if I win. So we'll see.

Q. How do you comment your victory today on your Twitter page?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I haven't been on Twitter the past couple days so much. I don't really want to see what people are saying. They're so nice, but I don't read too much about myself. When it's all over, I'll look.

End of FastScripts

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