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ROGERS CUP WOMEN

August 14, 2011

Serena Williams

TORONTO, ONTARIO

S. WILLIAMS/S. Stosur
6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Could you tell us, what did you change in your game today to create difficulty for your opponent?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I just felt like, okay, well -- because she beat me last time. So I was thinking, what can I do to best her and be better this time?
I was just like, I've got to be on my toes more and just play a little bit better. It was a different surface, too, my favorite surface. So I think that helped, as well.

Q. In the first set at 4-All, you hit an unbelievable backhand. Do you think at that point you took control of the match?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I mean, I definitely think that's when the match started changing, I guess, but for the most part I was really fighting until that point, and obviously after that point I kept fighting. It was definitely a big point, I think.

Q. Now that you've finished the week and you've got the title, where is your game at and where do you want it to be?
SERENA WILLIAMS: My game is, you know, here. I feel like there is a lot of improvements I want to make, you know, being able to close out big points and winning on big points and capitalizing on that. You know, still returning a little bit better, but overall it's solid.
I want to definitely keep it up and not, you know, not go down. Definitely don't want to go down from here. I only think I want to go up.

Q. Does it surprise you that it's been 10 years since you've won here in Canada? Do you ever just marvel at the fact that you've been on the tour for that length of time already?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, it's pretty shocking. It's like, Oh, my God, 10 years. Am I really 26 now? Like, wow. It's crazy. (Laughter.)

Q. I forgot that you mentioned you're having your 27th birthday this fall.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yes.

Q. Do you have any big celebrations for your 27th birthday?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't celebrate birthdays, so I'm good. 27, it's just around the corner, so it's like, Oh, my God. What am I gonna do?

Q. In the last game, you had a little trouble closing her out. Was that nerves? If so, what was going through your mind at that moment?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, it was definitely nerves. That was the only thing it was. I had an easy shot that -- well, she played a really good point and won a point, but at 30-Love I had a really easy shot that in any other game I would have made.
You know, that's normal. And that's what I want to improve on is just being able to play on the tight points, which I've been doing really well.
But this is a really big tournament outside of a Grand Slam. I haven't been winning a lot of big tournaments, so it was pretty cool. It was just a big moment for me.

Q. You played a lot of matches in the last few weeks, more than you're maybe used to going into the US Open. How do you feel physically? Is there any chance you won't play Cincinnati?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Right now physically I feel solid. I feel really good. You know, I'm due to play on Tuesday in Cincinnati, so I'll be there.

Q. It could be Stosur again in the second round.
SERENA WILLIAMS: So that would be cool. You know, we're both playing, you know, really intense and really well, and we'll see how it goes.

Q. I'm the Rogers Cup poet in residence.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Okay.

Q. I'm going to be writing a poem in honor of your victory today. I wanted to know what phrase you'd like me to use in the poem. Do you have a favorite phrase or description of yourself?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. "Narly."

Q. "Narly"? I'll use that.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah.

Q. Can you talk what you were feeling at the end of that match? You had four aces in that final game, and you seemed quite pumped at the end of it all. Can you talk about what your mindset was like?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I kept thinking, hit a ace, hit a ace, hit a ace, hit a ace, because I knew that at that point I didn't want to hit too many shots because I felt like I was getting a little tight. But then I thought, okay, worst-case scenario, you know, you don't win this game, you have a chance to break her, and if that doesn't work out, you have a chance to serve it out again.
But you don't want to be in that -- that was kind of able to relax me.

Q. You seemed quite pumped at the end of that. Is that a normal Serena-type reaction, or was it just -- a lot of people were saying that was a real exclamation you put on just coming back the way you did with those aces the way you did in that final game.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, you know, being down the way I've been down and coming back, it was cool. And coming -- you know, eight months ago if there was only one tournament I want to win, it was Toronto. For whatever reason, I really wanted to win this event.
So, you know, seeing it come true is really cool. You know, just going through so much and being able to win is even more amazing.

Q. What was your game like when you first returned to the practice courts following your layoff? Did you ever have frustrating moments where you doubted you would be able to return to this level?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Never. Never once. No.

Q. You have talked in the past about trying to go after Federer's Grand Slam record. Now that you see Novak doing what he's doing on tour, is that something to try to go after, as well?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, that guy is amazing. Did he win today?

Q. He's on his way, looks like. He's 53 and 1. Can you imagine yourself ever going on a tear like that?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No. I mean, I hope so one day. I happen to love Mardy Fish. He's a great guy. We're really good friends. But I like Novak, too. He's really sweet. I love his little brother. They are so nice.
You know, hopefully one day I can play like that. The guy is running every ball down. You know, maybe that's what I need to start doing. (Smiling.)

Q. Two years ago, as you may recall, Kim Clijsters came back from a retirement, didn't play many tournaments, and went on to win the US Open. I just want to know if you see any kind of parallels that you also, just coming back for the couple tournaments, if it's a good omen for you to remember what Kim did.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. I mean, Kim did something really amazing. I don't know. I just hope that I can do half as good as she did. She won the Open two years in a row now. I'm hoping to get close, you know, get close to there, that title.

Q. This is a Toronto question I have been asked about a million times this week, so I'm gonna ask you: What's the story with Drake?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, man, really? So much speculation. It's unbelievable. Shocking, really. It's too much. It's really too much. We're really good friends. I guess, you know, you can't be too close of a friend nowadays.

Q. Congratulations, Serena. I just want to find out the situation of your sister. How is she doing right now? Have you heard from her after the victory?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, she's doing okay. Her spirits are there and she sent me a picture of her dog, which I often mix up as my dog. (Laughter.)
I love him so much. He's my -- I love that guy. She's doing good.
THE MODERATOR: Questions from Montreal?

Q. Congratulations on your victory today. You're undefeated this summer in hard court. Do you consider yourself a favorite to win the US Open?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I consider myself a favorite to just do what I can do best, and hopefully, if that's winning the Open, I mean, obviously I want to. I never go in as a favorite. I feel like I'm still the underdog.
I still -- you know, I went through a lot of things physically and mentally and emotionally, and, you know, going through so much, so I'm just taking it one day at a time and kind of like one match at a time and just going with it.

Q. Looking a bit further, I know it's only -- it's a year away, but do you plan on coming and defending your title at Montreal where you haven't played in a while?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I know it's definitely a long ways away, but there's nothing, God willing, that's gonna forbid me not to go to Montreal next year. So I look forward to it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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