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DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPSFebruary 22, 2014Venus WilliamsDUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES V. WILLIAMS/A. Cornet THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Congratulations. Must be wonderful you can still win tournaments? VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. Gosh, it's been like ‑‑ I think the last tournament I won was at the end of 2012, so probably about, you know, 18 months. But it feels good. That's all I can say. Q. What are your thoughts on tonight's match? VENUS WILLIAMS: I mean, first of all, I think Alize is playing great. I think if she continues to play like that, she's going to play deep in a lot of tournaments and improve. It's great to see that, because she's a great, I think, addition to the game. She brings so much passion on the court, so it's great to see her playing well. I mean, I was definitely fully expecting to play Serena, so for her to get that win was awesome. Q. Winning a straight‑set match, five in a row, that's been kind of the problem, having the energy to do so. Is it just getting like the rhythm of knowing how to... VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, just‑‑ I have had a good week. Everything is falling together, pretty much all I can say. Q. How much do you think you've improved this week towards the form you showed when you won all those Grand Slam titles? VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, well, winning all those Grand Slam titles and playing deep and getting to the final so many times, I mean, those are amazing accomplishments. It takes a lot of nerve, takes a lot of, you know, mental prowess, so I'd like to think I'm on that path. I'm not looking to do anything I did in the past, because I already did that. I'm looking to improve and be a better, smarter Venus. I think obviously this week is a step. Every week for me is a step. Q. So you're leaving tonight, you said? You have to stop in Dubai Duty Free to buy yourself a present? What will it be? VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, my gosh, I stop in Dubai Duty Free almost every time that I've been here. I'm almost always missing my flight (laughter) because I have to get one more present for myself, sadly. So I definitely see that motif continuing. Q. What do you think it's going to be? VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. Usually I look at watches. So I don't know what it's going to be. We'll see. I love the watch with the calculator. Q. What have you most enjoyed about being here this week? VENUS WILLIAMS: I have enjoyed being here with Serena, being able to be at the same tournament. We don't always get to do that, and that was a lot of fun. Obviously the tournament really takes care of the players here, makes it super easy, so that is enjoyable, too. You don't have to worry about anything. Q. The hotel wasn't here last time you were here. VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I was like ‑‑was it even built? I don't think so. It was like, Man, so much has happened since I left. Q. Why rush out today as opposed to stay the day and rest and go on the plane? You just want to get home? VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. When you spend so much time on the road, being home is a commodity. Just nothing like being home. Q. How do you think you kind create this environment again, let's say, in Miami or the next tournament? What do you take with you from that? VENUS WILLIAMS: For me I think just a lot of match toughness, mental toughness. When things got tough, I definitely got going this week. If I was down break point, when push came to shove, I was pushing and shoving, I guess (laughter). But I think that I just improved so much. I'm just playing bigger points and converting. That's what I needed to be able to do. That takes time for any player, took time for me to continue to learn how to do that, put myself in the position and then finally start, you know, getting across the finish line. Q. Three‑time champion now. Congratulations. You're only one behind Justine Henin. Is that a target for you next year, to equal her? VENUS WILLIAMS: Right now, no. Next year it probably will be. I'd definitely love to come back. Like I was saying earlier in the week, I couldn't even come before. So just to be able to be here and compete was, you know, the first thing that made me so happy, and then obviously to play well, win the title and, you know, have this wonderful streak here is, you know, definitely an accomplishment. Maybe not as much as Justine yet, but there is a lot of people who haven't done as much as her, so it's not anything to be upset about. Q. When an opponent beats your younger sister and then comes and faces you, does that bring about the big sister in you? Do you feel a bit protective, or does that give an extra edge to the match, would you say? VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think Serena and I have so much respect for each other that when someone else beats one of us, we think, wow, what did they do? So when I came on the court today, I thought, wow, because I didn't see a lot of the match because I was kind of expecting Serena to win, so when I saw she was down, I was like, Wow. I was trying to get a feel for what exactly did she do to beat Serena? Obviously I was able to see on the court today. She's just playing so consistently and hustling and making the plays. I think the difference between me and Serena today was just ‑‑I think I put a few more balls in the court, and I think Serena set up her points to win them but couldn't quite put the ball in. She hasn't played since Australia, and I had the opportunity to play last week and play extra rounds, so that probably helped me. Q. If you had to pick one shot that was your money shot this week, could you do that and which one? VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. You should let Dave pick. What do you think, Dave? What was the best shot this week? DAVE: You used your angles well, very well, and just competed. VENUS WILLIAMS: There you go. fa |
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