AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 20, 2001

Serena Williams

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

THE MODERATOR: First question for Serena, please.

Q. Do you feel that you are at a completely different level in women's tennis
because you're a Top 10 player, than the others?

SERENA WILLIAMS: That's a good question. I don't think so. I think maybe in
the past, yeah. But I think now when you play people, whether they're higher
ranked or lower ranked, everyone's playing their top game. Every now and then
you'll get a player that's not so good. But very rare nowadays.

Q. (Inaudible)?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I just think everyone's playing their best
game nowadays really.

Q. Sandy Harwitt, Florida. Do you think, though, that maybe for Venus and
yourself and Martina, at a Grand Slam the tournament really starts to begin
at the second week for you?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think so, yeah. I think it should be that way because you
should just go out there and people that you're supposed to beat, you should
beat them in a timely fashion and in a timely manner. Then you should go from
there.

Q. None of you have struggled so far. Venus is the only one that lost a set.
Is that good preparation going into the knitty-gritty?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think so. I think so, yeah. I think when you're playing
players, you should just go out there, especially in the early rounds, you
should most likely win very quick. Every now and then you have a tough match
like Venus and even Lindsay had a tough match.

Q. You looked like you were shaking your head out there a little bit even on
some of the points you won. Were you unhappy about something? Were you not
happy with the way you were playing?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I was pretty disappointed with the way I played today.
It's not that I wouldn't move my feet, I couldn't. It was very weird. I mean
the wind was kind of chasing the ball a little and it's just like I just
didn't do the things that I want to do out there today.

Q. How hot was it?

SERENA WILLIAMS: It was fairly hot. It was definitely more hot in our doubles
match yesterday because today was a little breezy.

Q. Do you like cinema? Which sort of movies do you like?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Okay. Yeah, I do love going to the movies although no one
except for Venus likes to go to the movies with me anymore because I'm very
emotional in the movies.

Q. You cry?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I know it doesn't seem like it, but I'm in tears like that
(snapping). If it's any type of scary film or thriller, I just start
screaming. Venus and I are the only people in the theater that scream and
laugh and cry, we're just way too emotional. No one likes to go with us, so
we always go together. We just can't watch horror films. They're just too
scary for us.

Q. "Autumn in New York"?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, phew. (Laughing.) No way. My heart, I can't take it
anymore.

Q. So what's your favorite horror flick?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I saw "The Exorcist" one time, and honestly, I had to just
put my head down. I was just -- I couldn't take it. It was too terrible. I
just saw the new version recently.

Q. What kind of music do you enjoy listening to, you and Venus?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I enjoy all kinds of music although now I'm into --
they don't have it over here in Australia much, a new guy called JZ (ph) and,
you know, Memphis Bleak (ph). I like that type of music.

Q. I'll be honest with you. I spotted your sister walking into Sanity the
other day dancing to The Pretenders. I didn't know what kind of music you
guys were interested in. We sort of took a guess, because, yeah, we just
thought we'd ask?

SERENA WILLIAMS: We like a lot of different things. Mostly JZ.