S. WILLIAMS/V. Ruano Pascual

6-2, 6-0

An interview with:

SERENA WILLIAMS

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Looks like you made it out of junior tennis. Everything just clicked for
you today?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. Everything clicked for me today finally. It was just a
better match. I'm not nearly as upset as I was the other day.

Q. How did you get over that feeling?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I didn't, really. I let it linger. I was really upset
yesterday, and I stayed at home all day. I came to practice and I just went
back. I just came out here today with, like, I don't have any pressure on me.
Just do the best I can do, and that's all I can do.

Q. It's a question for all the people who were No. 1 once or twice. How did
you feel the first time you became No. 1, and how do you feel or do you miss
something when you're not No. 1?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, the first time it was cool. I was like shocked. I was
like, oh, really? And they're like, you're No. 1. I was like, no way. It was
really cool. It was obviously a great feeling.
What do you miss? It's just the fact you can say you're No. 1,but that's --
you know, also, I think what's good about it is the fight toget there, and I
think that's also enjoyable but about getting to No. 1.

Q. I know you've been asked before if Serena now would beat Serena in 2002 and
2003. Can you answer that specifically on clay, how your clay game has or
hasn't, you know, evolved and changed in those seven years?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think the Serena now would definitely beat the other
Serena, just in general. I'm older. I think I'm wiser. I think I'm just a more
mature player. Back then, it was more nitty-gritty, and now it's more composed
and planned-out playing.

Q. Does clay get harder or easier with age?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. Honestly, I grew up on the clay a lot. I'm
totally fine on the clay. My results haven't been where I wanted them to be,
but from, like, 9 to 14 I played nothing but clay court tennis.

I actually love it, and it's really one of my favorite surfaces, because I
love to slide, and I think it's so fun.