Q. Pretty clinical out there today.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Really? I felt good. I wouldn't say clinical, but good.

Q. What would you say? Talk about the match a little bit.
SERENA WILLIAMS: I felt really consistent today. I felt like I was hitting
the right shots and the balls were going right. It's always good to feel that
way. I actually felt like I could play and move better.

Q. This is the stage of the tournament where you turn it up a notch. Did you
feel that today, that you're really locking in here?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I seem to always be able to turn it up during this
particular stage maybe, the fourth round, for some reason. Hopefully I turn
it up again.

Q. Talk about dictating points and, you know, controlling with your serve.
Talk about that, as well.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I felt really power today and strong and able to
dictate. Even though sometimes she put me on the run, I felt like I was able
to still be on the offense. Sometimes I was on the defense and just trying to
turn that into offense.
It was definitely a really good feeling.

Q. I take it that your health is fine and that you haven't come down with a
virus or anything.
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I was just out of it the other day. That's why it's
important to get through those days, because the next day you're feeling fine.
It's like, Ah, I could have just fought through it.

Q. Tennis is a sport of rivalries, Serena. Everyone in tennis was looking
forward to your possible match with Justine, but now that it's Sam, does that
change your perspective? And in some ways, were you sort of preparing in your
mind for a match with your rival, Justine?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No. You can never underestimate anyone, and Sam is actually
a wonderful clay court player. I think she proved that last year, and this
year I think she's only lost twice on the clay.
So she's someone you can't overlook. She has a good chance to go all the way.

Q. Talk about her game. She's really been coming on, including on clay.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, she's amazing. She's fast, strong, and has a great
serve. You know, I don't know if she has a real weakness. She plays a real
all around game, so I think that's what makes her like a real modern, really
good player.

Q. What do you have to do against her to hold sway?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I definitely have to play well. She's no pushover,
that's for sure. She's beaten me before, so I have to be on my best game.

Q. Doubles question. We saw the No. 1 team Black and Huber split up earlier
this year. I wonder if you had something to do with that, you and Venus being
pretty good the three times you played?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I can say with confidence we had nothing to do with that,
actually, so, no.

Q. You think it had anything to do with that?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't think we had anything to do with it. Every time they
played us they actually got better and better, but I don't think I had
anything to do with it.

Q. (Question in French.) As compared to the other Slams, does it make a
difference for you to have a flat here in Paris? When you're not here, what
do you do during the day?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Compared to the other Slams, it definitely makes a
difference to have a place here. What I do during the day, I've been actually
watching a lot of Smallville. I'm on Season 4 in three weeks, so I would say
I'm slightly addicted.

Q. You're such a good analyst of the game. If you had to face in the doubles
draw Venus and Serena, how would you try and break them down? What would you
do?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, if there was anything I'd do, I definitely wouldn't
say. That's not for me to figure out.

Q. If I'm right, I don't think you've been past the quarterfinals since 2003.
SERENA WILLIAMS: 2002?

Q. 2003 I think you lost to Justine in the semis?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, okay.

Q. So it's been a few years. I'm just wondering if you felt more prepared on
the clay this year than you have in recent years.
SERENA WILLIAMS: I feel the same. I feel prepared every year, and I always
dive out in the quarters. I'm just trying to get past that this year,
hopefully.

Q. Do you feel a little bit more confident at this stage in the tournament
than you have in recent years? Anything different?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I feel no pressure right now. Sometimes maybe I let the
pressure get to me, but I just feel like whatever happens, happens.
At the end of the day, you know, hopefully next year. And there's always next
year.

Q. A few words on your hitting partner, Sasha. What do you like him personal
wise and hitting wise?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Are you German?

Q. Yeah.
SERENA WILLIAMS: He's a great guy. He's extremely nice, and he has really
thick skin. I think to be in our group you have to have super thick skin, so
to say.
What I like about him is he always makes me laugh, which is really nice. No
matter how angry I get, he still finds a way to always look and be positive.
He's just been doing a fabulous job for the past two years.
I've been winning a lot, so it's really good.

Q. For many years, you and Venus have been at the forefront of American
women's tennis. Do you think over this time the story of two sisters emerging
from one household to be at the top of a sport has been underreported,
overreported, or what are your thoughts on the treatment of the coverage of
that storyline?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I don't really think about that too much. I
think it's been I think I said before, like, you know, people know me and
they know Venus. They know that we're sisters and that we play tennis and
that we're the best, so I think the word has kind of spread.

Q. It seems that you have made a lot of progress in French, so maybe is it
possible for you to tell us a few words about Paris and this tournament in
French?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I get really nervous, and I hate my accent. I need to work
on my accent. (Speaking French) I love it when I play in Roland Garros. It's
my favorite Grand Slam, because the city is beautiful and I live here. It's
wonderful. I love Paris.