WIMBLEDON

June 21, 2005

Serena Williams

WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND

THE MODERATOR: Serena Williams. First question, please.

Q. How do you think Angela played?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think Angela played extremely well. I think she was
serving really good. She was really focused. I think she played actually
unbelievable.

Q. What were your expectations of playing her coming in, someone you knew?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, honestly I expected a tough match because, especially
playing against me, she obviously wanted to win. It would be probably the
first big match of her career. She had nothing to lose. So I felt that I
really needed to be focused and I felt it was going to be a tough match going
into it.

Q. During the match, were you focused entirely throughout?

SERENA WILLIAMS: There was a point where I was disappointed where I did lose
my focus a little bit, especially in the first set. I kind of got a little
off track. But it was good 'cause I was kind of feeling my way through and I
was able to come up with the win.

Q. She said she heard a spectator yell, "Turn up the heat, Serena." She said
just about that time you did.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I heard him, too, actually. Yeah, so I did. It was
accurate. I had to because she was playing really well. If I hit a little bit
harder, she had a little bit tougher time getting the balls back.

Q. You had a lot of fight backs in your career. During a match like that, are
you drawing on that mentally?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm definitely drawing on that mental and the fact that I
just didn't want to lose this match today. It just made me work a little bit
harder and go a little bit harder.

Q. I know it's been a while since you played a match. How were you feeling
out there today in terms of fatigue or overall fitness, the ankle?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I felt really rusty, you know, especially I just kind of
felt like I was feeling my way around. I felt that I made some errors that
shouldn't have been made, but it was just kind of getting back in the rhythm
of things. I felt really kind of rusty out there. But towards the -- as the
match went on, I got a little bit better with everything.

Q. Was your ankle bothering you at all?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I kind of twisted it in the second set maybe. But I was able
to walk it off.

Q. How do you rate your fitness level right now?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I got a second wind in the third set. First set -- the
second set I got a little fatigued, but then all of a sudden I just was like,
"Okay, Serena, you have a six-hour limit and you're only at two hours. Let's
go."

Q. You haven't seen a lot of Court 2 over the years, have you?

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I haven't.

Q. When did you last play on that court in singles?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I remember playing Els Callens on that court.

Q. Did "The Graveyard" thing enter your mind out there today?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Not when I was walking out there. No, it didn't enter my
mind 'cause I just felt that I had to be better than them, the myths.

Q. Justine lost today. You're the last one who has won the French and
Wimbledon back to back. How hard is it to win those two tournaments in a row?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think you just have to be fit to do it. I was fit. I was
fine. I think you just have to be ready mentally. I wanted to win Wimbledon
really bad. I was ready. You have to definitely be mentally prepared because
at the end of the fortnight you do get tired. The first round is usually
like, "Okay, I'm back at it again." Because it's so close, the French and
Wimbledon are really, really close. I think it's important to take some time
off after the French, even though it's kind of weird because you have to
workout. But I think it's important to take like a couple days off and then
come back.

Q. After a tiebreaker like that, that goes so long, you have four set points,
how do you not have a major letdown?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I did have a major letdown because I felt I should have won
the tiebreak, and I felt she hit a ball that was clearly out that was on one
of my set points that no one called. So I did definitely have a major
letdown. But I was just so angry that I felt that I must go to a third set.

Q. The racquet, did that help sort of release that anger?

SERENA WILLIAMS: You could say so (smiling).

Q. How hard is it to break a racquet on grass?

SERENA WILLIAMS: You have to be real strong.

Q. Have you broken a lot?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Just two this week, which is good for me. Usually I'm at
five. I have a really short temper. But it makes the game exciting, I like to
say.

Q. Did you give the spectator the broken racquet or the new one?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I gave them the broken racquet because I couldn't do
anything with it. I have one at home, just sitting, upset.

Q. Do you usually give your racquets away?

SERENA WILLIAMS: If I break it, I give it away.

Q. Angela talked about having grown up near you in Compton. What are your
recollections of her and your family at that time of your life?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I remember hitting next to her a few times because we used
to practice at the same park, the public park. I remember hitting next to
her, actually all the time. She was so little at the time. She was so small.
She would always move her feet. She would never stop. She'd hit a lot of
angles. So that's what I remember. She was just always out there, just like
us. We were out there a lot.

Q. Do you remember playing her brother?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I remember playing her sister. I remember playing doubles
with her brother. I don't quite remember playing him.

Q. She said you used to play her brother a lot more.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh. Probably got a win over the whole family. Now I just got
to get the dad and the mom.

Q. With all the injuries and everything, has this been a low mark in your
career this season, do you feel, even though you won the Australian?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Just in general, I'm here at Wimbledon, so... I can't say
it's been a low this year.

Q. How high on the list of your priorities is the Federation Cup? Are you
planning to go to Moscow for the semifinal?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I -- well, I want to see the Cup come home. When I was in
Delray, I vowed to go to Moscow, so I like to keep my word, unless something
happens where I can't go. But it's tough definitely to go to Moscow after
this. But I would love to see -- I think we have the best players, although a
lot of people think otherwise. I think we still have the best talent. I think
as of right now with Lindsay and Venus and myself, we could bring the Cup
home. I plan on going to Moscow.

Q. There are thousands of public courts in America. Why do you think you and
Venus and Angela were all able to come out of those public courts in Compton
and make it to Wimbledon?

SERENA WILLIAMS: It's an amazing story, it really is. I mean, who would have
thought that these people from Compton are playing Wimbledon. It really is,
if you think about it, amazing to be that young. I just remember all those
days we would be out there, and they would be out there as well, just
training and training and training, still struggling, just trying to make it.
Why do I think? I just think it boils down to -- she has a great father and a
great mother who always pushed her, but at the right tempo, I guess. And
myself, I have a great mom and dad who always knew how to push us, even if we
didn't want to be out there some days. You have to go out there. That's the
only way to do it.