Q. You have had a good run up to the tournament here. Had a good season. Just
talk about how you felt out there today.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I mean, first round match against a really potentially
dangerous opponent. I mean, she's very good on this surface and just a very
experienced player, so definitely the kind of match where, you know, I wanted
to stay focused the whole way through, you know, so I was very pleased.

Q. When you've got such a one sided record against a player, how do you sort
of keep it urgent and think that you can actually lose?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I think the record definitely helped me, because I
mean, I have been at stages in my career where I've had a one sided record
against certain players, and mentally it's not easy to overcome.
If anything, I think it helped me a lot, especially in tighter situations,
so, you know, obviously I'd like to have that kind of record against everyone.

Q. You have had quite a good record on clay so far this season. Is there
anything you've changed about your approach to playing on that surface?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Um, change? I mean, always working on my game, my philosophy
and always trying to understand everything a little better. I think
ultimately I've just been playing a little bit more consistent. At the end of
the day, whatever it is, you just got to win the point and execute. So I've
been doing that I think pretty good.

Q. The way your results have been at the French Open over the years, do you
come here believing you can win the title? Is that your goal here?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Absolutely. I always, goes without saying, believe I can win.

Q. Just on the clay, I mean, obviously the Americans have struggled here.
More so maybe across the aisle than the men's side. Can you talk about the
challenges that presents for players from the U.S.?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I mean, the U.S., we have played well here formerly.
The last few years hasn't been as great for us, but if anything, for me, my
whole motivation is to do better. Hopefully the rest of the Americans feel
the same way as I do.

Q. Your oddball question of the day: You still design your own outfits?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes.

Q. How many outfits do you bring to a tournament?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Um probably about 8 to 10.

Q. So you don't wear the same one twice?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I do recycle. I'm not superstitious, but I bring enough just
for the backup plan.

Q. How does it feel to be No. 2 again?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, it feels good to be moving up the ranks, obviously,
when you get to 2 of course the next dream is 1. So that's definitely on my
radar, but, you know, it's definitely great to be there. I feel like, you
know, the players I'm ranked ahead of, I feel like, yeah, nice, whatever that
means. I don't know what I'm saying. (laughter.)

Q. I don't like to bring up an unpleasant subject, but for those of who
didn't see it live, we're trying to understand the 6 0, 6 1 score against
Jankovic.
VENUS WILLIAMS: It was what it was. It was cold. I had to get used to that
weather. It was freezing in Madrid and it was cold, and I'm a Florida girl.
So basically when I got to Madrid I realized, well, I have to get used to
this.

Q. You're obviously very glad to be No. 2 in the world again, but if you want
to be No. 1 now you're going to have to take your sister's place. How does
that feel?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, when we're on the court and when we're competing
against each other, it's competition.
Both of us feel that, you know, may the better player be the best. That's
what it is at the end of the day.

Q. How would you describe the outfit you wore today?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, the outfit is about illusion, and that's been a lot of
my motif this year, illusion, and it's about obviously lays and kind of
having that illusion of wearing lays and not having anything take away under
it, the nude fabric. So these days I just have a lot of fun with my designs
and designing and doing different things.

Q. Does No. 1 I'm trying to figure out how much that means to you to get to
No. 1.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I mean, everybody wants to be No. 1, especially me, because
I'm closer than most of the other players on the tour. (laughter.)
So it means a lot, because day in, day out, all the hours that I put in,
everyone puts in, when you get to the top of the rankings is definitely a pat
on the back, like this is all worth it. I want to put the work in to be able
to get there.

Q. I have a question about ancient history. It's a story about your dad from
before you were born where he watched a tennis match on TV and had the idea
of having two daughters to be tennis players. When did you first hear that
story, and what did you think of that story when you were a little girl?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I assumed it was true. I don't know what's fact, what's
fiction. That's just a story I heard.

Q. Did it inspire you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Inspire me to get more cash? I mean, that was what it was. He
saw the woman get the check.

Q. No, inspire to become a champion.
VENUS WILLIAMS: (laughter.)
I don't think it was about that. It was about the lady got a check, so it
wasn't that she won some huge tournament. It was the check. Hopefully that
has inspired me.

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