April 5, 2017

A Post-Match Interview With:
VENUS WILLIAMS

Laura Siegemund defeats Venus Williams
6-4, 6-7, 7-5
Second Round

Q. That's a tough day at the office. Do you want to just talk about how it
went?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I mean I tried my best to think this could be the best
match she'll ever play in her life, honestly. I basically won the match but
still lost. I mean in the service game I really played the best game I could.
I pretty much hit winners, but she hit winners back on me. And I just didn't
have any answers for that. I tried -- I don't know much more that I could do.
I mean there were some errors I made in the beginning, but when push came to
shove, I feel like I did the right things, but somehow inexplicably came up
empty.

Q. At what point did it become kind of surprising to you what she was doing,
every ball coming off her racquet landing in. At what point does it kind of
dawn on you she's got the Midas Touch for about five or ten minutes there?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. She had a lot of great moments in the match. And I
didn't really do anything wrong. I did the right things, played aggressively,
and played great points, and I mean I can't look back and say, wow, I did the
wrong things and at those important points at match point I played great
points.

Q. Just talk about that one match point in particular where you hit the
really good volley and then -- maybe it was the second match point. You hit a
very good volley and she retrieved.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. I mean she just feeling the ball today. You know, it's
one thing to play like that on one day, but to be able to keep that level up
on a daily basis on matches you're supposed to win or you don't have any
pressure or you're not just gunning for someone. That's the biggest challenge
is to win when you're supposed to.

Q. Venus, setting results aside, how would you rate your first clay match?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I mean it was great. I had a lot of great shots that came
back. You know, it's just all credit to her. Not a lot of errors, and just,
you know, she played the best match.

Q. Did you ever get frustrated with the drop shots from her?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I mean when you hit like a really deep, hard shot, it's very
difficult to be ready for a drop shot. You know, and she was mixing it up
well, going for winners but then drop shots, so it's not often an opponent
can continue that sort of level, and unfortunately for me today she was able
to do that.

End of Interview