Serena Williams defeats Maria Sharapova
Quarterfinals
7-5, 4-6, 6-1

Q. Serena, could you just kind of talk about the match?

SERENA WILLIAMS: It was definitely an up-and-down match for me. I don't think
I played my best. Actually I played far from my best. In the third set I did
play a little better. I did play the tennis that I'm used to, but you know,
I was just slow and I wasn't moving or doing anything right.

Q. Serena, it seemed to me like the crowd was behind you, as they usually are
here. Did you feel that?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I definitely felt like the crowd was behind me. It's good.
It's awesome to play and have so many people cheer for you. It's like you kind
of rely on that.

Q. You said that you would tell us today how your ankle felt. How does it feel?

SERENA WILLIAMS: It feels okay, but we'll see. I'm just taking it a day at a
time.

Q. In that third set they said just one unforced error, and like you said,
you played better in that set. Was that emotion, execution, a combination of?

SERENA WILLIAMS: It was definitely emotion. It was definitely emotion. I
think I was more focused. I was ready to get off the court at that point, and
I just was ready to play. I felt like I wasn't even playing before. I was just
out there.

Q. It was the first time you played her on clay. Any difference? Any comments
on that?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. I think she's playing really well on the clay. You
know, she's sliding better than I think she was last year, so I mean it's
good for her, and I think I'm doing well on the clay. It was a different
experience obviously than hard court or grass.

Q. I'm just wondering with the experience of replay you've had in matches and
only from the chair. How do you feel about that now?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I mean it's good because, you know, with the replay if a
shot's out, you can challenge it, so I really like it.

Q. Serena, you said that you didn't play your best tennis on the first set,
but did you like the fight on the first set?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I definitely did like my fight. That's all I did was fight
well, and I served okay, but it just shows me that I still have a lot to work
on and I can improve leaps and bounds still.

Q. What did you tell yourself at the start of the third set to turn things
around?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I just told myself to get into it. I felt like I wasn't into
it. I was just going through the motions, and I felt like in the third set I
was like, "Serena, play." And so I played.

Q. You've done just about everything in tennis except win this tournament.
What's this tournament mean to you?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, there's a lot of tournaments I haven't won, but it
would mean a lot to me to win this tournament because I have so many fans
here, but I'm just taking it one match at a time, and I'm happy to be in the
semis.

Q. You seem to play your best or play even better against some of the biggest
names. Like who would you say would be your toughest competition, seeing as
you have a good record against a lot of them?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Hands down, Venus Williams. I really don't like playing her.

Q. Can you imagine what a match would be like if you sized up with Jelena
here on the court?

SERENA WILLIAMS: It would be a good match. I mean she's playing
well, clearly, and she gets a lot of balls back. It will be a long
match, and I'll be fighting for every point, and I will want to
win just as she would, so we will both be going for it.

Q. What is it about here, it seems like your emotion comes out and then you
came out in the third set today. What wasn't it that didn't start you off in
those first two sets emotionally?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. Maybe I should have ate some hot peppers or
hot tamales to get my feet moving, anything, but definitely in the third set
I just became focused, and I just knew what I wanted to do, not just here,
but mostly what I want to do in the Grand Slams.

Q. Do you know that you're sending her home for her 21st birthday?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Is today her birthday?

Q. Tomorrow is.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, she lost today, so it wasn't tomorrow.

Q. No. You know that you're sending her home for her 21st birthday.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, good for her. Now she gets to go have her 21st
birthday. I mean that's awesome, you know. She doesn't have to play a tennis
match in the hot sun.

AMY BINDER: Any other questions? All right. Thank you.

END OF INTERVIEW