V. WILLIAMS/R. Grande 6-1, 6-4

Q. Pretty strong effort with the exception of that little blip toward the end
of the second set. If we were in the second week of this tournament, where
the players are getting stronger, competition is heavier. In your opinion, is
your second serve strong enough right now to get to the final of this
tournament?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Definitely, I think my second serve is doing very well. I
have very few double-faults. I think my average is like 132, 130, 134.

Q. So you're serving for it at 5-2, you go on this little loss of
concentration. You've been playing almost perfect up till then. Take me
through what happened there.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I just committed a few unforced errors. It only takes a few
before, you know, those games are not on your side. But I felt okay going
into the 5-4 game because I was serving pretty good, pretty strong. I didn't
feel the amount of pressure that she was going to hit winners on me, because
her game is not a power game, it's more finesse and placement.

Q. What's working for you on court and what's not?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Really I'd just like to keep improving on my technique and my
footwork and my movement, of course my serve and my return - if I can just
keep improving. I'm just doing my best not to power myself out of any matches
(smiling).

Q. Have you hit your forehand better at any time than you have the last
couple months? Today I think you had eight winners down the line,
cross-court. Seems like it's become a real weapon.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes, at times it's my best friend. I'd like to think that.

Q. As usual, you're cruising through the first week. Even that second set you
were up 5-1. Are you happy playing like this or do you wish you had earlier
round matches that lasted longer than 50 minutes?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Normally I do play I think longer matches in the first
rounds, but this week has been nice - especially coming off of injuries. But
nice not to be on the court too long. I think more than anything on the clay
court, anything can happen, especially at this tournament. So if you can just
shut your opponents out, just keep it not too noisy on the court, not too
many mistakes, so that way you don't find yourself in a situation that you
feel is out of your control.

Q. These days what gives you the most joy in playing tennis, just playing the
game?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. Actually, I've been having a nice time
practicing these days. I've been enjoying my practices. Sometimes I'm a
little lazy as of late because after so many years of practice, it can get a
little boring at times. I've been working on a few things, just trying to
keep it interesting.

Q. How do you keep it interesting?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, it's been nice because -- normally you go home and
practice the same place every day with the same people. I've had different
hitting partners, different challenges, different places to hit, so it's been
nice.

Q. And your sister, of course, came out in the colors of Cameroon. If Reebok
said to you, "We want you to come out with the colors of an American team,
could be basketball, football, baseball, anything you want, college, pro,
what team colors would you choose?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know, because I don't know much about sports outside
of tennis.

Q. Not even local high school, nothing?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I don't.

Q. You have four Slam titles. During those runs, you've talked about good
feelings, special feelings, at Wimbledon and the US Open. So here do you have
any of that inkling, "Boy, if I continue to play well, I can actually get
deep into this tournament"?

VENUS WILLIAMS: For sure. I think more than anything, even if I'm not playing
well or I don't feel I'm giving my best - not giving my best, but doing my
best, at least if I can just play the big points well, that's what really
counts. Just have enough courage to step up and not look back, that's what
I'm looking forward to doing as the later rounds progress.

Q. You were talking about not letting the crowd into the match before, not
making mistakes.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Not too much noise. Noise as far as...

Q. Whistling?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, interruption. Maybe just a word I use "noise." Not with
the people, but just with yourself, the person.

Q. Can you tell us about the honorary degree, your thoughts on that, how it
came about?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I found out about it last year, so I made, for sure, an
opportunity in my schedule so I could be there because I've worked so hard to
get a degree. I haven't gotten one yet. This is all that I can get. It meant
so much to me. It's actually at Howard UniversityThat's where my two older
sisters went. It was real nice because that's just one thing in my life. Of
course, I have lots of great things going on, but that's just one part that I
won't really get to live. So it was nice to be there and actually see
students, people that I want to be like - as opposed to maybe people that
would like to be like me, but I wanted to be like them. So it was nice.

Q. What was your thinking in that atmosphere?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I just -- I felt it was really an honor to be there,
for sure, a school would feel so intent on giving me a degree or a citation,
that was nice. Hopefully I get there one day on my own.

Q. You said a while ago if it weren't for your father, you would probably be
a college student now. You seemed to say it with a tone of you were fortunate
not to go that route. Can you imagine yourself going that route?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I speak to a lot of people. Some of the greatest years of
their lives. I think surely I'd be a struggling college student, fighting for
the next Cup of Noodles. At least I can fight for the next fillet mignon here.

Q. Your dad also said years ago that you and Serena would be 1 and 2. People
dismissed that fairly much out of the blocks. Now that you're 2 and 3, do you
think there's a shot you'll actually achieve that in the coming months?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think it's a great possibility, for sure. It's what we work
for, just to be the best in the world, to do our personal best. I think at
this point we're getting close to being our personal best.

Q. If that occurred, what would that say about you and your family?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I just think we worked hard, we believed in what we were
doing. More than thinking, we had a fun time along the way.

Q. You travel a lot all around. Did you ever think about learning some other
languages, and which one?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I've tried everything, but not everything has worked out the
way I'd like. I'm sure one day I'll speak hopefully a few languages.

Q. How different of a player are you now than when you first came here ? Lost
to Tauziat. You talked about, "Can't learn to slide on this stuff."

VENUS WILLIAMS: Actually, I didn't want to slide on it is probably the
problem. It was hard. My first Slam, I just didn't know what I was doing, to
be honest. As a result, I lost in the second round. I've had some tough
results here also.

Q. Now do you want to slide? Do you like the sliding?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I do. It's something that you most certainly have to
practice. If I try to slide, and I haven't been sliding in practice, then I
miss. So now I've been sliding in practice. If I don't have to slide, I
don't. I feel that the slide takes more time. If I can just step into it,
that's all the earlier I can take the ball.

Q. Your side of the draw opened up a little bit with Clijsters losing. With
both Belgians out and Martina not playing, are you thinking this could be an
awful nice opportunity for you?

VENUS WILLIAMS: What's really important to me is the fourth round I'm in now.
If I can just get to the quarterfinals, I'll be happy. After that, I'm going
to move on to the semis, I hope (laughter). At this point I can't tell the
future. No matter who you play in this tournament, it can be weird, it can be
difficult. You never know. I'm just banking on moving on to the next round.

Q. In the last couple of days, Lleyton Hewitt has been saying he just needs
to get through these first couple days to get himself into the second week,
then everything changes. Is that how you see an event like this?

VENUS WILLIAMS: It's a good idea (smiling).

Q. I want to ask you specifically about the security here in Roland Garros.
Have you noticed the security strengthened than in other previous editions?
Do you think it should be stronger?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think it's always been very good here since I first came. I
don't see where they would really need to make any improvements. They're
always willing to give you as much help as you want. The other day I went to
the Roland Garros shops, I had two guards helping me so I could pick a couple
souvenirs. That was nice.

Q. You didn't notice any difference from previous editions here?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No. I always thought it was very tight. The other day I
forgot my pass. I had to show my passport so the guy would believe that it
was me.

Q. Yesterday Serena gave us the scoop, the shocking news, that your tennis
newsletter, Tennis Recap, had gone out of business. We were stunned by that.
What happened?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, Lord. We went to school. I got that tendonitis, I
couldn't type anymore. We were always at least two weeks beyond the printing
date (laughter). It was fun while it lasted. I don't know. We should hire
someone to type for us.

Q. Going through all that, does that give you any more sympathy for us and
what we do?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I've always admired your work because in writing class I had
to work so hard. I always thought I did pretty good. But the teachers always
found something wrong with my essays.

Q. What was wrong?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. I don't know anymore. All I know is I don't
have to take any more writing classes. I'm through.