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U.S. OPEN

September 8, 2011

Serena Williams

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

S. WILLIAMS/A. Pavlyuchenkova
7-5, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What was the problem with both of you guys holding serve to start the match? That was just weird. Was it the rain, not being outside for a couple of days?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. It was definitely -- I think for me it was a slow start, and once I lost serve, I was determined to break serve so I wouldn't be down a break.
Then I just kept losing serve in the beginning. Very weird.

Q. What turned it around for you then?
SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, I tried to move my feet a little better and just tried to get pumped up, because I felt like I wasn't at my best. But I felt like, um, I just tried to do a little -- do everything just a little bit better.

Q. What have the last two days been like for you? What did you do? Where did you practice? How did you kill time?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I have been pretty relaxed. I was fortunate to have the night match so I came out when I was supposed to, and then got canceled shortly after.
So it wasn't too much of a burden. The day before was my day off, so I actually had probably a good schedule.

Q. What's she like to play? What's her game like? Did it take you a set to get used to just the way she hit the ball, how hard she hit it?
SERENA WILLIAMS: She's definitely different. She'll hit hard, then she'll hit soft. She's great at mixing things up.
I just think I was just a step slow in the beginning. I was hitting a lot indoors and it's a totally different surface, so once I kinda got out in the match, once I showed up, I was able to play better.

Q. You've won 13 slams and have had lots of slam experience. In these tournaments, these big tournaments, do you get a feeling that, Hey, I'm on a real roll here, I could go all the way? Is that something you feel inside yourself as part of the process?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I just feel like -- I don't feel like that ever. I just feel like I'm here, and I want to keep winning. I never want to get too comfortable.

Q. They moved the Roddick match because of a bubbly court out to 13. Have you played out there? What's it like on the outside courts? I guess you haven't played for years there now.
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't think I've ever played on Court 13. I'm not sure, but, you know, you have to be ready for anything. Good for Andy to stay positive and to get out there, him and -- was he playing Ferrer? I mean, that's pretty cool.

Q. With the anniversary of 9/11 coming up, can you talk about your memories of that, and where you were at the time when that happened 10 years ago?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, you know, I think everyone that lives in America, you know, America has been affected by 9/11. I was in D.C. at the time, and I just remember seeing a lot of Army trucks. You know, it was what it was. It's hard to believe it's 10 years later, but, you know, it's good. Good we are kind of coming together and New Yorkers and New York has been so strong.

Q. What are your thoughts on Caroline's style of play and what has made her so effective in attaining the No. 1 ranking?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think Caroline is a very consistent player. I think both consistent on the court and then consistent in playing tournaments and doing well and winning tournaments as well as going really far in tournaments.
That's pretty much what it takes to be the best.

Q. What are her weapons? That's always been the knock, that she doesn't have the weapons to win a slam. In your estimation, what weapons does she have?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think her weapon is the fact that she never gives up. You saw she was playing Kuznetsova and she was down and she came back.
That's probably the biggest weapon I think you can have in all of tennis. Also, she's moving really fast. She's running every ball down. That's a great weapon to have, as well.

Q. How do you stay so mentally tough? Knowing you were down, and you had to turn the match around, how do you stay so mentally tough and so focused?
SERENA WILLIAMS: It's definitely something that's innate. I don't think you can go out and get it. I just have it.

Q. Just have it. Okay. Is your game a lot better than it was when you started the summer at Stanford? How would you evaluate the progress you made since you started hard courts after Wimbledon?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I thought I played really well in Stanford. I was really relaxed. You know, I just had goals that I wanted to reach, and so I don't know. Actually I played some of my best tennis in Stanford.

Q. Earlier in the year you were asked, Why do you hope you're -- why are you going to be playing well? And you said, Well, I need the money. You could win a heck of a lot of money here. You could win 2.8 million. What do you do with that kind of money?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I give half to my favorite uncle, and then the rest I probably save it hopefully. Pray that the banks don't go down. (Laughter.)

Q. Within the last year, because of injury and health, this was almost taken away from you. You got it back. What's that mean to you?
SERENA WILLIAMS: It's good. You know, I'm happy to be back and to be doing, you know, pretty well. But I definitely want to keep it up and just be consistent. You know, I was consistent before. You know, I got injured again, but I definitely want to get back to that and be pretty consistent.

Q. You say you keep learning from these experiences. What have you learned from this very last one?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I always go out wearing either shoes that cover all my foot or most of it. I'm serious.

Q. Is that why you wear T-shirts now that have holes in them, to make up for the fact that you can't wear shoes that have...
SERENA WILLIAMS: Just been having fun with the Nike tops.

Q. Are you able to play without thinking at all about the injuries or illness?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I am, and I think I was able to get that confidence first before I played Stanford. I came to New York to see my doctor, and he gave me like a clean bill of health.
Ever since then I played without thinking that something could happen, so that's a really good feeling.

Q. With the NFL season starting tonight and you being such a follower, you go to so many games, who do you think will make it to the Super Bowl and who do you think will win?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, to be honest, I think it's anyone's year. I think with the preseason being so cut short and all the injuries that we're seeing in the NFL right now, I think that, you know, any team, such as the Miami Dolphins, could come in and really take it really far.
Obviously I'm 100% into Miami, but I don't know. I think it's really an open field this year.

Q. What would mean to you more, a dolphins Super Bowl title or US Open title for Serena?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, boy, that's a tough one. I mean, definitely US Open, but it would be really good if we could win a Super Bowl. That would be amazing.

Q. Did the former USTA official, Arlen Kantarian, who is an advisor for the Dolphins, have any role with your becoming involved with the Dolphins?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Actually, he did. He asked how we felt about football, and obviously I'm a big fan. I wanted to do some things different and start becoming more of an entrepreneur as opposed to, you know, just an athlete.
So it was a perfect opportunity for me.

Q. How ready are you to get into that broadcast booth and start calling a football game? You sound as if you could do it tomorrow.
SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm really good with football. Maybe instead of coming to the tennis booth I can go to the football booth.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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