FED CUP - CZR vs USA

April 27, 2003

Zina Garrison
Serena Williams

CZECH REPUBLIC vs. USA, LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS

THE MODERATOR: We're open for questions for Zina Garrison and Serena Williams.

Q. Serena, they said they were going to try to pull a surprise on you by
playing someone else. I guess it didn't matter, huh?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Actually, Venus said she expected that, so... It doesn't
matter. Actually, I expected to play Klara in the beginning of the tournament
because I thought I was going to play her and Daja Bedanova. But it was
different.

Q. Talk about your performance today, how you thought you played, how good it
feels to win.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I felt I played better today, I still feel a little rusty on
the edges. I think my volleys were really well. My commitment to go to the
net was what I've been looking for in the past year or so, but I would still
like to make more of a commitment.

Q. What does it feel like to get two wins for your team? It's been since '99
now.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, it feels great. I really am happy. I really wanted to
go out there and have an opportunity to win and get us to the next round and,
hopefully, go all the way.

Q. Could you talk a little bit about that "us versus them" mentality, as
opposed to in a tournament, an individual tournament, it's a "me against the
world"?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Usually, in individual tournaments it's "me against them." I
don't usually see it "me against the world." But it's different, the format
with having Billie and Zina as the coaches, and all the players together,
Meghann, Alex, Venus, myself, we just built this whole vibe and this whole -
I don't know - this mutual feeling that we want to do well and we want to be
able to have a chance to compete together. It's all about the team.

Q. Would you want to play against Italy? And, if so or if not, what would go
into that decision-making process?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I would love to play against Italy. I think that's my first
time in Fed Cup, was when we played against Italy.

ZINA GARRISON: Ancona.

SERENA WILLIAMS: So I would love to do that again - most definitely.

Q. Did you enjoy your experience this time around?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. This is the best time I've had so far. Just having the
kids on the team, Jamea and Ally, it was a fun experience. I think they had a
great time as well. So I really enjoyed myself.

Q. Talk about your first experience when you played against Italy. I know you
only played the doubles, I believe?

ZINA GARRISON: No, you played the singles.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think I was only supposed to play doubles, but Monica got
injured so I was able to play singles. That was great. I remember I was so
happy because I said, "I'm really going to show them what I'm made of." I
played an unbelievable match that day (laughing).

Q. This time last year, Zina, we were all sitting here, you had lost 3-0.
Just talk about the difference between then and now and how you feel.

ZINA GARRISON: Well, I think the biggest difference definitely is you see
that teamwork and chemistry works. Like Serena said earlier, the fact that
this team came in so very positive and was really looking to gel as a team
from Billie Jean to myself to the hitting partners, we all work as a team. I
think it showed. I mean, the enthusiasm has been great. They have taken on
the young kids and showed them the team spirit. I think Venus and Serena, in
the matches that they've played, they seem to be very excited to be out there
and just play. One of the great pictures was when all four of them were
holding up the flag and Billie and I were sitting on the side and saying,
"This is what team is all about."

Q. Agassi just became No. 1, and you're No. 1. At what point did you realize
you could beat Venus and, therefore, everyone else? When did you realize you
could become No. 1?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I've always wanted to be No. 1. I've always thought positive
about being No. 1. I never realized that I could beat Venus and everybody
else. On any given day, you can lose a match, especially if you're not
focused. I think being No. 1, you have to just say to yourself, "On every
match, I'm going to give 200 percent instead of just 100 percent."

Q. Zina, what did you and Billie do to foster the team attitude?

ZINA GARRISON: I think the first thing, I always believe that it starts from
the top. I think Billie feels the same way. The fact that Billie loves other
team sports, I think that helps so you know the mentality that it takes to be
a team sport. The thing about tennis is we do do everything individually. I
think Serena watches a lot of sports and Venus and everyone, so I think that
helps to come in and know what you're expected to do as a team player.

Q. Serena, after Belgium won today, Kim said that if they get through the
quarters and you guys do, that she and Justine would really look forward to
playing you guys. What do you think about that?

SERENA WILLIAMS: That's just looking too far ahead; really it is. That's to
November. I'm not really thinking about that. That's just... you know...

Q. From an excitement standpoint in tennis, do you think that would be a good
thing, for you and Venus to play Justine and Kim?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Sure. Like I said, I don't know. I'm not thinking that far
ahead.

Q. Are you thinking ahead toward the French Open at all?

SERENA WILLIAMS: No. I'm not thinking at all (laughing).

Q. Are you going to take anything you've learned this week into practice with
you to prepare for that?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Most definitely. I'm going to go home and contemplate and
visualize everything that Zina and Billie have been able to tell me and try
to focus and make sure I'm in the best shape that I can be in mentally as
well as physically, and get ready to try to defend my title in Paris.

Q. Zina, yesterday Serena mentioned the idea of bringing tennis to different
places like here and elsewhere. Can you talk about the work she and Venus do
as ambassadors for the game, in addition to the way they play?

ZINA GARRISON: Yeah, I think they have been great ambassadors for the game.
They basically have helped people realize that tennis even is there and put
it on the map. I think the great thing, they have crossed a lot of barriers,
but the barriers for sure that they've crossed, they've been on magazine
covers that a lot of tennis players dream to be on. They've been on them a
couple times now. But I think the biggest thing is like the clinic that we
had the other day was unbelievable. To see those kids react to Venus and
Serena and Meghann and also Alexandra was wonderful. To have I think over
1,100 kids to come out, watch play, these are the kids that we want to be
able to grasp and understand that there's tennis out there and maybe one day
they can get a college scholarship or be a Venus and Serena or Meghann or
also Alexandra.

Q. Following up on that, two years ago Venus came to the Sportsmans Club for
the first time. Would you be willing to come back to the Boston area for such
events?

ZINA GARRISON: I come all the time, so you need to ask Serena that
(laughing). Let me say this, the history of the Sportsmans Club, I became a
professional tennis player because I met Althea Gibson there and trained with
her. It's a long history for inner-city kids. I guess it's up to you, Serena.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, it's always good to see inner-city kids get involved
in sports such as tennis. It really made me feel special and kind of warmed
my heart to see some of the kids out there playing - and not just playing on
a very basic beginners' level, but some of them were actually able to hit
rallies and keep the ball in play and actually really enjoy it and wanted
probably to go further with it. That alone was really, really exciting for me
to be able to have the opportunity to see that.

Q. Zina, how important is it for Fed Cup overall to have the star players
commit to the competition?

ZINA GARRISON: I think it's very important. I think it's very important for
the fact that, you know, there is tradition. But it also will help people
make sure that -- to understand the difference of Fed Cup and Davis Cup. A
lot of times when you talk to people, the first thing they say, "Do the women
have anything like Davis Cup?" But with Venus and Serena on the "Boston
Globe," on every page, and Fed Cup with the name behind it is only going to
help put the name on the block again.

Q. Serena, when you and Venus first started playing, people sometimes thought
you were twins and yelled, "Go Williams." Do you sense people are starting to
tell the difference and really develop a favorite Williams sister that they
root for?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I don't know if they've developed a favorite
Williams sister. Maybe, who knows?

Q. Serena, just coming out, you had lost to Justine a few weeks ago before
the time you came in here and played fairly well. Talk about the rest of the
year, how you think things are going to go.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Things are definitely going to go well. I'm definitely going
to be pretty focused and pretty serious about my tennis. I hope things go
well, as long as I stay injury-free.

Q. Do you have any anxiety about defending Roland Garros, or is it just
another Slam for you to defend now?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't have a desire to -- anxiety. I have desire
(smiling). I don't have anxiety, because I'm going into Roland Garros
thinking, "I want to win another Grand Slam. I don't want to defend, I just
want to win a Grand Slam." I think if you go in tournaments trying to defend,
you can get too much pressure on you. But I would like to go, and win Roland
Garros, not to defend my title. I just want to win, have that opportunity.