WIMBLEDON


June 26, 2001


Venus Williams

WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND


MODERATOR: Venus Williams.

Q. How did you like your game today?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think I played okay, you know, for a first round match.
Sometimes those always can be a little bit shaky. But I think I had the
opportunity to hit a lot of balls, hit a few returns, so that's always good.

Q. Did you feel any pressure out there as the ladies' defender on centre
court?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Not at all. I don't really feel any pressure to. Having won
last year was really a dream come true. Whether or not I win this year has
nothing to do if I won last year, in my opinion, because I still want the
title just as much. So I don't feel any pressure to defend. If anything, I
would just like to win again.

Q. Serena said yesterday she found her mind wandering occasionally. Did you
find it difficult to concentrate today? Looked as though maybe you did early
on.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I didn't have any difficulty concentrating. I think it's
easy to lose focus, especially when you're winning easily. But I didn't have
any issues with that at all.

Q. Did you lose focus early on, all those unforced errors?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I really just started going for too much. I wanted
every shot to be great and perfect. Sometimes you have to play 50%, not 100.
I was able to crawl out of it. But, you know, I did have some errors. All I
can do is learn from it, just go back on the practise court.

Q. How did you find the weather today out there?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, it was hot. But I had a little preparation, living in
Florida. But it's quite hot.

Q. We saw you revealing your new dress today. I was just wondering,
apparently we heard that you had a new lucky charm that you were going to be
showing today.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No. It's just a rumor. I don't have any lucky charms.

Q. You don't have any superstitions?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I do, but I don't have any lucky charms.

Q. What are your superstitions?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I just like to wear the same style dress every time. If I
kind of defer from that, then I start to believe that I'll be less
successful. So I have to try a dress out in doubles before it can be ready
for single's.

Q. Would it be fair to say that Bobby is your lucky charm?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, Bob has been having some discipline problems lately.

Q. Really?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.

Q. Is that why your game is fluctuating?

VENUS WILLIAMS: As a mom, you've got to worry. He's doing okay. I heard he
escaped some disciplining. While the other dogs were being disciplined, he
ran under the couch so nobody could reach him.

Q. If Bobby were here?

VENUS WILLIAMS: If Bobby were here, he'd be a joy every day. He helps me warm
up on the court. He's quite noisy. He just makes you feel good. He's a
feel-good dog.

Q. Given the importance of this dog issue, what type of dog is Bobby?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Bobby is a Yorkshire terrier. I'll have to bring a picture
next time. Serena has pictures in her purse. I do, too, but I didn't bring it.

Q. What is it like to walk on here and being the defending champion? How is
it different than last year?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I feel really motivated. Anytime you come to Wimbledon, in my
opinion, you just have to feel motivated, especially when you walk out on
centre. There's really no better feeling. The court is so perfect, it's the
best grass court I've ever played on in my life, including all the other
courts at this facility. I love being there. 1:00 start on Tuesday, I came
through.

Q. The thrill of winning last year, was it as great for you as you would have
anticipated going in?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, it was super. I think you have a lot more feeling when
you lose because it's just so hard, especially when you lose a tough match,
it's really tough to get going again. When you win, everything's perfect. But
I think you have a lot more feelings when you lose a match. So I just want to
keep winning.

Q. What about winning specifically here at Wimbledon?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, it was real nice. My first Grand Slam at Wimbledon.
That's really a top pick, in my opinion. If I could choose one to win first,
it would have to be this one. Really a dream come true.

Q. Your dad wondered whether the French would have been on your mind today at
all. That is accurate?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, definitely I was thinking about it. You know, I still
haven't gotten over it. I feel really deprived not having been able to
compete there. I really felt I had a good chance. I think the draw really
opened up, too, all the players either withdrawing or falling out. Yeah, I
don't think I'll ever get over it.

Q. How did you spend the time between the French and now?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I got a just punishment. I went home, had to face all
types of heat, and I got bit by a lot of bugs. I was punished. I was
motivated enough to win my match so I could stay here at Wimbledon.

Q. Lack of match play has never really seemed to be a deterrent for you. Are
you the kind of player that gets a lot out of your practise time?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I try to get as much out of my practise times as
possible. If I'm not practising effectively, I might as well not be
practising. That's how I feel. Really, I try to do a lot of my work in my
mind. I try to really be prepared before I come to the tournament so I don't
have to work on anything at all, I have it all together when I get here. When
I arrive at a tournament, all I have to do is just maintain my game. That's
really what I focus on. I think you have to win the battle in your mind first
before you go out there on the court. So I think that's one of the reasons
why I don't have to compete as much as the next player.

Q. Are you trying to be any kind of a different player this year? Anything
you're doing differently than last year?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, not really. I think everything I did last year was quite
good. If I could just do what I did last year, I think that would be perfect.
Move forward, just execute it. That's enough to win a Slam.

Q. Do you think finesse and touch still has a large role in the women's game
or do you see it kind of going away from there, power and aggressiveness are
pretty much the number one elements now?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think if you have the opportunity to bully your opponent,
then you have to take that chance. Also I think that finesse and touch is
also something that if you can kind of move your opponent around, being
tricky, kind of having them off balance, that's perfect also. But sometimes
if you have the power, it's perfect to use it. So I think it's a happy medium
between both. Learning to use both is good.

Q. When do you go to touch and finesse? Normally when you're not playing as
well? Do you start out saying, "If I can overpower my opponent, that's what
I'm going to do. If I can't, I'm going to have to go to Plan B or C"?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Normally I use less power if I'm winning easily. I take a lot
off the ball, start to really enjoy myself. But if I'm not winning easily,
it's a lot harder for an opponent, always having to feel that I'm pushing
them back or they have to keep returning my deep balls and my hard balls,
whereas if I was just hitting them softer, they feel less pressure that I'm
even going to hit a winner. In my opinion, I have -- God gave me the gift of
being strong, I'm going to use it.

Q. Jennifer is having such a great run. Do you feel like she's the player to
beat in this tournament?

VENUS WILLIAMS: At this point I don't even think she's on my side of the
draw, so I haven't really thought very much about it.

Q. Is it fair to say that she's the best player in women's tennis at this
point?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, at this point she has the best results, so you'd have
to say that she's doing the best, whereas the rest of us have been trying,
but it hasn't exactly happened.

Q. The Lawn Tennis Association says that you and your sister asked for
100,000 pounds each to help promote tennis in this country. What was your
take on that?

VENUS WILLIAMS: What do you think about it?

Q. Pardon me?

VENUS WILLIAMS: What do you think about that?

Q. I'm just reporting what the Lawn Tennis Association says. What do you
reply to that?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know because I haven't read anything about it, so I
wouldn't be able to make an educated opinion.

Q. Would you like to help promote tennis in this country? If the opportunity
arose, is that something that appeals to you?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I just think, you know, you've got to start pressuring,
because in time it will come. I don't think I'd be as helpful as someone who
lives in England, and someone who understands how to work with players. And
also if you don't know the answer, how could I? I just finished being a kid
myself, so I'm just trying to grow up.

Q. Are you a little surprised that you're essentially in the same position
this year that you were last year where you came in here not playing your
best tennis, you'd been injured, taking a lot of time off, and now you're in
a position where you have to kind of step up, win Wimbledon, go through the
summer, have a big run?

VENUS WILLIAMS: What was the question?

Q. The question is, are you a little surprised that you're in the same
position this year that you were last year?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I don't think I worked hard enough. I deserve to be in
this position. It's okay. I'm not doing that bad.

Q. Apart from all the hours and hours of preparation all the players put in,
back to this superstition point. Is it fair to say that most of the players
are a superstitious bunch?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think most of the players probably do have their pet
peeves. It's hard to get rid of them once you have them.

Q. Does Serena have some?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know.

Q. Serena has a little dog?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. She has two now.