ROGERS CUP


August 22, 2009


Serena Williams

TORONTO, ONTARIO


E. DEMENTIEVA/S. Williams
7-6, 6-1


THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. The service problems you were having today, how much was it you having
them and how much was it her return game?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't think I had too many service problems. I think I
served better today than I did my first two rounds.

Q. You lost your last two service games of the first set and all five service
points in the tiebreak.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, so I guess -- you know, I didn't look into the stats.
I don't really remember.

Q. You didn't start grunting until the second set, and I thought that was
going to be a sign that you were coming back. Could you say when you do and
when you don't grunt?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I usually always grunt, but for whatever reason I
wasn't grunting today was no reason -- I think maybe it was the weather. I
don't know. It was no reason in particular.
I don't know. I did notice in the first set that I wasn't grunting, and it
was just kind of weird. It was like, Hmmm.
But usually I do grunt. I don't know.

Q. No rhyme or reason?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, my guess is as good as yours.

Q. Can you talk about your opponent's play today? Was she much tougher than
the first three players you faced in this tournament?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, she was obviously much tougher. She gets a lot of
balls back.
You know, it was a good match for me, and I really hope to have another go at
her at the US Open, because I learned a lot from today's match.

Q. It was strange. You seemed very in control. You were serving for the first
set, and then it was -- it all seemed to go away. Did you feel that it wasn't
happening today, or did she take it away from you?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I mean, I had it, and I really probably should have won
the first set which probably would have had a different result, but I didn't.
I didn't play -- I started making a lot of errors and just key shots I should
have made, and she hits tons of short balls, and I just stayed behind the
baseline. I guess that's what happens when you do that.

Q. On a day like this, do you feel the fire? We've seen you play with such
fire at different times. It was hard to tell today. Were you feeling it, you
know, as you do in the big matches?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I mean, I can't say I was especially feeling the fire and
the burn, but obviously I want to do well and I always really want to do
well. I really wanted to win. Honestly I think I could have and should have
won, but I didn't. It is what it is.

Q. You've played her many times over the years, and she's always had a really
good ground game, but can you talk a little bit about the fact that she's
serving better, does that make a difference in the matchup now?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Always, whenever someone has a decent serve, it always makes
a big difference.

Q. Can you talk about how a match like this would change your preparation for
the US Open?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No. Sometimes when I lose I learn a lot from my losses, and
I feel like I learned a lot today as to -- especially on how to play her, and
I feel like, like I said, I feel like, you know, I didn't win today, but I
think -- I hope I'll win the war.

Q. What did you learn from playing her today? You said you learned a lot.
You're going to take away a lot.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I just learned how to play her, and I learned how to
win. And had I played better, not made as many mistakes, I think I definitely
could have won the first set. I was serving for it. I probably should have
won, and I didn't.
You know, she played -- she started playing a little better, but I still know
what to do next time.

End of FastScripts