Venus Williams defeats Madison Keys
6-4, 6-4

Quarterfinal Round

VENUS WILLIAMS

Q. Can you talk about your day, how you prepared to play two very different
points, Lepchenko and obviously Madison just now ?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. Lepchenko is definitely more methodical, heavy spin.
She's very strong, and obviously has a lot of confidence, having gotten to
the top 20 and done a lot of things, played good in the Olympics and been
playing well in the majors. It was so different than playing Madison. She
plays similar to me, goes for a lot more, a lot more power. And she can
create a lot of shots in the court, so definitely two polar opposites.

Q. Do you scout Serena anymore or do you know her well enough you don't have
to worry about it?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I've seen her so many times. I'm assuming that she will most
likely win this match, so you know, hopefully all the time I've sat in those
stands will give me a little help.

Q. Venus, for an article I'm working on I went back and watched a clip. The
first time I saw you guys actually was a CBS "60 Minutes" interview in 1997
with you guys in your beads and bracelets and you're talking about killer
instinct and you said, "I don't know if I have killer instinct. I just go out
there and play. I think Serena definitely does." Have your thoughts changed
over the years and do you remember that interview?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I do not remember that interview. So if I didn't have it
then, I have it now. (Laughs).

Q. Can you just talk about the order of play today on stadium court went
Williams, Williams, Williams and now Williams again?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. I was thinking it's a quadruple header today. Hopefully
that was a lot of fun for the fans.
I don't know if that's ever going to happen again. I hope it doesn't. But it
was a really cool thing for the tournament to do to kind of just, you know,
reward the crowd for hanging in there through this weather.

Q. You've played and won a couple of times before in your career twice in one
day. What do you remember about any of the other times and what are the
challenges that it presents?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. The only time that I actually remember is I was playing
New Haven and I remember either completing or playing a match first on and I
played the night match and I played the final the next day at like noon and I
just remember my feet hurt so bad after that. It was three matches against
top players in 24 hours and it was just overload. I'm glad I don't have to
play another one today.

Q. Does doing that get easier or harder as you get older?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't think it gets harder unless you're just terrible. You
know, that's when it gets harder.

Q. So are you looking forward to playing Serena again, I know you look for
her names in the draws like first thing. But it's been a while since you two
played?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. I'm looking forward to it. Last year I fell short and I
didn't hold up to my end of the bargain and make the semis, so I'm glad I
took it a step further this year, and the only thing I can do is try to play
well.

Q. I know you said that during this tournament at this time last year you
really weren't feeling good. It was just that hope of getting to the Olympics
that really kind of kept you going. How are you feeling now and how did the
back hold up after two matches in a day?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm really conservative with my back. I may not seem like it,
but I haven't been serving that hard. So I'm just trying to get my back into
the tournament. It's been a good plan. The toughest is the second serves. So
I'm trying not to get as many, where hitting it really hard is tough too. So
I just try to let my arm kind of go and then it goes in, hopefully.

Q. Venus, how was yesterday like? Did you guys know pretty early that you
would not be playing and so you had, I guess, time to mentally prepare
knowing you were going to probably have to play twice?

VENUS WILLIAMS: We saw the forecast in the days ahead that it might be not as
favorable, but you always kind of hope that maybe you'll get on. But the
tournament decided to move the matches, and that's what we had to go with. So
we just had to get ready.

Q. Venus, when you do get drawn against Serena in the same half and you know
that, I mean does that change anything in terms of the interaction between
the two of you during the tournament?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No.

Q. No. Like in terms like if your back is hurting she knows that and that
sort of thing?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I think everybody knows that. (Laughs).

Q. Any part of you like playing two matches in a day, just you get in a
groove, you win that first match, you have a nice final set is it kind of
nice to carry the momentum and not have to sit on it at all?

VENUS WILLIAMS: In some ways it could be an advantage, but it's not like
baseball where if you have a double header you get to sit on the bench quite
a while as well or stand in the outfield or what have you. You're moving
constantly.
So I would definitely not prefer to do that, especially if some other players
have completed their matches. It gives a little bit of advantage to the ones
who get a little more rest. So I would prefer one a day.

Q. Madison Keys is obviously 18 and one of the kind of top U.S. prospects.
Did you know anything about her coming into today and what are your thoughts
on her game?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. I've seen her play a few times, and I know that she's
very talented. And she's just, you know, at this point learning the ropes and
playing the matches and needs more experience against the top players because
she hasn't played as many top players yet, so she'll get there in terms of
that. And it's just I think for her a matter of time before she can continue
to execute and be matches.

Q. With everything that you guys have been through in terms of health
problems and whatnot, what sort of symbolically does a Venus versus Serena
match mean to you in 2013?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. I mean obviously this is a great place to play and
hopefully we'll be able to play some finals again.
But you know, the last years have been challenging and at some points
difficult, but I think in both of our heads we never gave up on tennis or
ourselves or belief, and t hat's what's crucial is that you never stop
believing in yourself. And it's not easy, but it's worth it.

Q. Does it get easier? I know like there are a lot of times earlier in your
career when you met. It could get a little nervy sometimes. Obviously there's
a lot of personal dynamic there. Does that get at all easier a decade later?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think we just both want to win. I think we just both have
so much respect for each other's game that makes it probably a little tougher
because you know you're not going to get an easy win. You know you have to
really just be on your game and play well every single time. So I think
that's probably the toughest part.

End of Interview