AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 24, 2015

Serena Williams

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

S. WILLIAMS/E. Svitolina
4-6, 6-2, 6-0
An interview with:
SERENA WILLIAMS

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Another start slower than you wanted, but great finish. How do you keep
turning it around? What do you attribute the slow start to?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm not sure. I need to figure that out. Well, my next match
I'm just going to have a longer warmup, more intense warmup. But as long as I
was able to come through today, I can always have an opportunity for tomorrow.

Q. You played her once before in 2012. How much has her game changed?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think it's changed a lot. I think even back then she was
really young, but she had this fire in her eyes and she had this desire. I
could see it then. Even today she still has so much growth to do, which she's
going to do. She's improving so much.

Q. What does it mean for you to be back in the second week of a major with
your sister for the first time together in about four years?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, it feels good. It means a lot. I'm still trying to get
past the fourth round, so we'll see. One match at a time.

Q. Do you think it's a benchmark at all for Venus? It's been almost four
years since she's made this point of a major.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, she's been practicing really well. She's just been
doing everything well. She's so focused. She has so much motivation. At the
same time on all of it she's super relaxed. It's really encouraging to see.

Q. You said after the match you got motivated by seeing her up 4-1. What were
your thoughts when you saw that?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I thought, Wow, she's been through so much with her illness,
with everything that she's had to do. Gosh, if she can do it, I'm perfectly
healthy, I'm fine. I should be able to do it, too. It just got me so
motivated, really helped me push through those next two sets at a rapid rate.

Q. Years ago Venus said the two of you are exactly the opposite of anything
that's happened in the game. In other words, you had an incredible impact.
Can you reflect on that comment. Do you think it's truer than ever?
SERENA WILLIAMS: To be honest with you, either I'm slow today, but I'm not
catching that. I'm so sorry. I'm just not catching that. Can you elaborate?

Q. She said, Serena and I are exactly the opposite of anything that has ever
happened in the game. She was talking about how you came into tennis and
changed the game.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Okay. And I'm supposed to be in college, geeze (smiling).
Yeah, I think we are a lot different. We didn't play juniors. Our dad has
been our coach for years, years, years. Usually you switch it up a little
bit. Yeah, we just kind of came different. We're black. We just started
something new. It was fresh. So, yeah, it is definitely something opposite
from what you would expect from an average tennis player.

Q. What do you remember most about the match against Muguruza at the French?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Losing. But it was a good loss. As angry as I was, it was
the best loss I had the whole year last year. Had a lot of them. But that one
in particular made me realize what I needed to work on. It opened my eyes
towards a lot of things. I was like, Oh, my gosh, if I don't change, then I'm
going to be forever in the same position. It actually ended up helping me a
lot.

Q. She said today she thinks she played out of her mind that day. Did you
sense that that day?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Thought that day she played well. She didn't miss a shot.
She didn't miss a forehand. She miraculously got every ball back. As a top
player you have to be ready for that. You have to be ready for everything and
anything. I believe she has the potential to want to do that again against
me. So I'm going to be ready for that.

Q. How much do you look forward, when you have a loss to somebody at a major,
to the next time you get to play them?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I always look forward to it. I have nothing to lose. Here is
my turn to show them I can do it. If not, if they're the better person on
that day, they're the better person on that day again. It honestly takes a
lot of pressure off of me.

Q. Venus is going to playing Aga next round. Do you see the influence of
Martina Navratilova in her game? Is it too early?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think she's obviously coming to the net more. She has a
lot of good things she does in her game. I think they make a really good team.

Q. What were your thoughts about Roger's loss?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, you know, I wasn't very happy, to be honest. I was
rooting for Roger. He's been playing so well, on the other hand Seppi played
incredible. He served well, he played well, he moved well. He did everything
great. If you want to beat the top players, that's what you're going to have
to do. I think he proved he could do that consistently for four sets. I don't
think Roger played bad. I think Seppi played really, really well.

Q. Is there a voice in you that says if Seppi can take down Roger...
SERENA WILLIAMS: ... I can take down Roger? No voice (laughter).

Q. That you have to be on your toes, more than ever watch out for everyone?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No. Like I said, I've been out early in every slam except
for the Open. I'm used to people coming at me early on. My biggest
competition seems to be early rounds. I just have to focus on those early
rounds.

Q. There's an all-American match between CoCo and Brengle. What do you know
about them? What does that say about the depth of American women's tennis
right now?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think American women's tennis has come so far. We have so
many options now, which is so great because for years I had to answer the
question: I don't know, I don't know. But I think these players have been
working really hard. They've been doing a lot. Just so many American players
that are playing really, really well. So much to look forward to.

Q. Those two in particular, what do you know about them?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I know they both have great games. Madison has a great
backhand, I know that. She likes to hit really well. CoCo has a great serve.
But she's improved all around. She has a good serve now with a good backhand,
forehand and volley. She does everything well.

Q. Who will you pick up for the men's title since Roger is out?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I was rooting for Andy the whole time, so we'll see what
happens.

Q. Is the fourth round in your mind as a big hurdle for you at a major?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. Nowadays, if I get past the fourth round, it's like
party time. So we'll see.

Q. You had matchups with the same people over the years. How is it for you
when you play somebody for the first or second time? Do you enjoy the
challenge of working out their game?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I do. I tend to play the same people over and over again.
It's really odd. Sometimes I'll play new people. But, yeah, I tend to have a
lot of repeat matches. When you play someone new, you have to kind of figure
them out early, figure out what their strength is, what their weakness is,
yeah.

Q. Is that something you enjoy doing on the court rather than all the
research that happens before?
SERENA WILLIAMS: It's something I've always done on the court. I've always
done it. I always have to do it. I always have to be ready for that.

Q. What was the moment that Andy Murray became one of your favorites?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I like all the top guys. To be honest, I think Novak is
playing really well. I think Stan is playing well. He's kind of flying under
the radar. He's playing really well here. I like Andy's attitude. I always
have. I like how he gets every ball back. I like all the top guys, Rafa,
Roger, Andy, Novak, Stan. I always root for them, so...

Q. Is it more of a sympathy factor for Andy? He tweeted the other day how he
got a bit of a rough go after the US Open compared to Rafael Nadal when he
suffered injury problems. Do you feel a bit of sympathy for Andy?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I didn't see that, so I'm not sure. Andy is a great player.
I played him actually once recently in an exhibition. He destroyed me and I
felt really bad. It was just in mixed doubles. I thought I really would have
a bigger chance. But honestly, he was at the net, so it wasn't really a fair
opportunity. The girl was serving, he was at the net, covering the net. I
have a whole new appreciation for his game. He had great hands. I just saw
he's amazing to watch. I really kind of liked that. But I was able to return
his serve pretty well.


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