Q. Do you remember the last time you lost in a Grand Slam holding a match
point?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I don't.

Q. Can you explain what happened?
SERENA WILLIAMS: She hit a good serve. You know, I don't have anything to
regret on that point. It was almost luck that I made that one shot.
So, yeah.

Q. Can you explain sort of Sam's game today? You seemed sort of frustrated.
Obviously you fought your way back in. Do you find she has a bit more power
in her shots these days?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, she's a good player. I made so many errors, and I
definitely was nowhere near my best today.
But she played really well.

Q. Congrats on the win today. Tough one, obviously, in the singles. Can you
just talk about where you think you are with your game at this point? Were
you expecting this level today?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I expected to play better. I'm a little disappointed,
obviously, in the way I played. I was definitely off. I didn't play as well
as I did in my other four rounds.
Had I played better for two minutes, maybe the result could have been
different. But it didn't work out, so...

Q. You obviously saw her in Australia. Is there any difference in her level
or how she competed? You're obviously one of if not "the" best competitors on
the tour. How did you sense her level of competition there?
SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, she's at interesting competition level. I think,
um yeah, I just think she definitely was a good competer competitor. Don't
write that. (laughter.) Please don't write that. (Laughter.)
Q. I think you're a real good competer and competitor. Just sort of face the
bottom line. Roland Garros has been a challenge for you many times here, and
not passed the quarter. You have the one great win, but talk about the
challenge of the French. And is it the biggest challenge in your career at
this point?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I think I just you know, I, you know, just wasn't
playing well today. Last year I choked. You know, I guess it's a redundant
story with me. I don't know, but, you know, I can't get too down.
But, you know, I don't know. I can't sit here and say that this is really
hard for me to win, because I think that would present an even bigger
challenge.

Q. The match obviously had a lot of ebbs and flows. It was hard to track it
in a certain way. Towards the end there, do you think you had it? And
especially at the match point, what was going on inside?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I never think I lost until I'm shaking hands.
Sometimes I don't believe it after that, either. But, yeah, I think that, you
know, I'll always try to stay super positive on the court.
Actually, that's not true. I sometimes get negative. But in my mind I try and
stay positive, and always just think, you know, just to keep going.

Q. Was this one of those that you said sometimes you don't believe it even
when you shake hands was this one of those?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Um, not necessarily, because I didn't play well I don't
think at all from literally the first point.
I was more or less upset that I was able to play so well up until this point,
and then like so I wasn't as, like, I didn't believe that it was so much
over. I just couldn't believe that I totally played like that.

Q. On the forehand you hit on your match point, was it close to being in?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I don't know. It was out. I didn't know.

Q. Your dad obviously gets a lot of attention, but your mom is real important
in your life and she was very philosophical afterwards. Could you just take a
moment and tell us what part she plays in your life and your game?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, she obviously plays a really big role in my life.
She's my mom.
At the end of the day, you know, it's always good to have a good parent
behind you, because, you know, winning is cool and winning championships is
great.
Actually there are better things, but it's a really, really good thing. But
at the end of the day, it isn't permanent. It isn't something that you're
always going to have.
In order to have that balance kind of thing, it's good to have a good mom
like I do and good parents, really.

Q. Even if normally players who have lost don't care really about what's
going on afterwards, but since there are two semifinals, Stosur/Jankovic and
Schiavone/Dementieva, can you tell us and me personally something about
Schiavone and Dementieva? Especially, what do you expect if you are surprised
that Francesca got to that point and what do you expect can happen in this
tournament which now seems to be very open?
SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, Schiavone is playing well. I'm not surprised. She
started playing well last year, and she hasn't stopped. She's gotten super
fit, and she's really a good player. She's finally showing it, so I think it
will be a really good match.

Q. First sort of set and beginning of the second you seemed to get a bit
frustrated with Sam's spin and slice and stuff as well. Is there anything
sort of extra she's doing with the ball that you didn't sort of notice last
time you played her, or...
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I just the only extra thing it was me. It was my match
and I lost it. That's basically what happened.

Q. American fans were hoping that Serena might score a Slam this year. Are
you kind of disappointed that that's off the table? Was that in the back of
your mind?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I'm not it's like I've had so many chances to do it.
But, you know, this was kind of weird. You know, I didn't play for 12 weeks,
so it was just kind of like, Okay, let's go in here, no real pressure, and
just do the best that I could do.
Just looking at the big picture, I think I did okay considering where I've
come from.

Q. Your chances, your hopes at Wimbledon? What do you think on the grass with
of course your big sister in the draw, as well?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, um, it will be tough. You know, I would like to defend
the title if I can. That would be exciting.
Yeah, I haven't thought about Wimbledon yet.

Q. When you're down in the match here, is there any different sense of self
confidence or I know I can pull it out versus at the other Slams?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Um, no. I just think I don't know. At every Slam I kind of
feel the same way, like, Let's go.

Q. Winning the doubles with your sister, is that a bit of consolation for
losing out to Sam? And just secondly, you seemed to have a bit of trouble
getting into the match. You managed to get back in and win, but can you just
tell us again, were you still reeling from the shock from Sam? Is that why
you took a bit of time to warm up in the doubles game?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Um, no, I just think we just played a really, really good
doubles team, and they totally came out and played strong and had a wonderful
plan. They were going at us, like literally hitting us.
It was just like we had to just kind of defend ourselves out there. Finally,
we got a little bit used to the pace and were able to we didn't serve that
great. We were able to play a little bit better.

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