US OPEN

September 8, 1999

Serena Williams

U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP, Flushing Meadows, New York

WTA: Questions for Serena.

Q. What is the dog's name?

SERENA WILLIAMS: She has two names, because I couldn't decide. She's named
Jackie or Baila, which means "dance" in Spanish.

Q. What kind of dog is it?

SERENA WILLIAMS: She's a Jack Russell.

Q. Did you buy that puppy somewhere near Lexington?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Lexington and 62nd. She said, "No more questions."

Q. Did you buy her today?

SERENA WILLIAMS: No.

Q. How do you explain what happened in the third set?

SERENA WILLIAMS: In the third set, I was really focused. I really just came
out with a better plan. I was a little nervous in the first set because it
was obviously my first quarterfinal in a Grand Slam. I put too much pressure
on myself. The third set, I completely calmed down. I just began to play my
game. That's how I play normally.

Q. How excited are you?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I was pretty excited at first. I mean, believe it or not,
it's already settled in. I'm ready to move on.

Q. You've had some problems early in the year with split set matches. You've
won three straight at The Open. What's changed?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm definitely a more wiser person. I'm overall just a
better player. That's what's changed. Time goes and you just become a better
player.

Q. You have a different attitude going into the third sets now?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think so. I have the attitude that I'm just not
going to lose. I've been doing pretty well in third sets this tournament. I
need to start doing better in the first sets. I never had this problem,
though. Usually, you'll notice, like in Acura Classic, I didn't lose a set. I
usually never have these problems. I don't know.

Q. How are you a wiser person, Serena?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think better on the court. I see the whole court instead
of just one side, one-dimensional. I see the whole court now. That's really
important.

Q. You said you never had this problem. But in Grand Slams, however, you've
lost your share of important matches.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I sure have.

Q. Here, anytime you've gotten into a tight spot, you've pulled it out, been
more controlled, played more aggressive. Did you have a different game plan
coming into the tournament or are things just kind of happening naturally?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I did really prepare mentally for this tournament for
quite some time now. I think that's maybe what it has to do with. I'm really
convinced that I was definitely going to do well here. This was a great
opportunity for me. Especially skipping Wimbledon, that was really terrible
for me because I was really ready to play. I wasn't able to play. I was
really ready to be here. I was so mentally prepared, I think that was the
difference. I'm going to try to do that in the other Slams also.

Q. You had that trip in the third set. Were you worried?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Actually, I tripped because my shoe got caught a little. I
thought maybe it could be a crack in the ground. I kind of fell on my hand,
and it was like a little stiff. I said, "I don't have time for this. I have
to move on."

Q. How similar is your game to Venus'? What are the similarities and
differences now that you're both here in the semifinals of the Open?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, Venus is definitely a more powerful player than what I
am. I would say I'm a little less powerful player. I use more of the court
than what Venus does, although she's doing that a lot better now. She has a
bigger serve, but I have more aces (laughter).

Q. How much do you feed off the US Open crowd? Do you think they're pro
Serena Williams or in this match do you think it was mixed?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think it was mixed. A lot of people out there are really
for me. I was pretty excited about that. Usually when I go into courts, the
crowd tends to kind of be for the other person. Here in New York, it was
pretty exciting that everybody was pretty much clapping for me. Monica had a
lot of fans out there too.

Q. On TV you said you were so excited, you've been working on this for so
long, then after you left, Tracy and some of the others teased you. You've
been working so long, you're just 17 years old. Could you reflect on that? Do
you feel like a veteran already? Do you still feel like you're new to the
game?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I definitely don't feel like a veteran. I feel like I've
been practicing for years and years. I've been practicing since I was four to
do well not only at the small tournaments; I've been doing well at those, but
your ranking really doesn't move unless you do well in the big tournaments.

Q. First game of the third set, you hit a running lob. Can you describe that
play for us.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Monica had me on the run. She's very good at putting people
on the run. She had me side-to-side. Actually had 40-15 in that game. I kept
thinking to myself, "If I can get this first game, that was really
important." It was really important for me. I kept thinking, "One point at a
time." I just happened to get there and hit a lob. Like I said before in a
lot of other interviews, I don't like people to hit winners on me. Monica hit
quite a few today. She's that type of person. When you play her, you know
she's going to hit a couple winners on you.

Q. Does a lot of pulling out the match have to do with your mental game on
the court? Seems like you mixed up the shots at the right times.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think I definitely could have mixed up my shots better. I
haven't seen the stats, but I think I definitely made way too many unforced
errors. I think I played a nervous game out there, to be quite honest.

Q. Seems like both you and Venus have added a slice serve to the deuce side
recently. Something you've been working on recently?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Actually, yeah, kind of, sort of. It's always a good thing
to have those wide serves on both sides of the court. It's a good thing. That
makes a player stress. You have the whole opening. I've noticed that's a good
serve. I, of course, want to adopt that.

Q. Someone in your family is really famous for making predictions. Do you
think this is the tournament for his prediction to come true?

SERENA WILLIAMS: We're not mentioning names here?

Q. It's late.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I still have one more match. My dad has been right about a
lot of things. You have to admit. He said I was going to come up. I have.
He's been right about quite a few things. I still have one match to go. If I
can do well in this match, I know it will be great. If not, I don't have
anything to lose.

Q. But you didn't answer the question.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I didn't?

Q. Is it going to come true? Is your dad's prediction going to come true?

SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, I think everyone should wait and see.

Q. Could you assess the two semifinals?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'll start with Venus. She's playing more thinker. She's
playing Martina, who thinks very well on the court. I've watched her last
matches. She's hitting balls more harder. She's moving the ball around. She's
really moving up. She's doing a lot of good things. So Venus is going to have
to attack, not make too many errors. I think she can do that. She has to stay
mentally sound. The other semifinal, which includes me, we have two power
hitters. Lindsay hits the ball really hard. I hit the ball hard. It's going
to be a fun semifinals. It's pretty exciting for women's tennis. Again, we're
always carrying the men's tennis (laughter).

Q. Will you watch Venus' match as a sister or as someone scouting a potential
opponent?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I mean, absolutely I'm going to do both. I'm going to
have to play the winner. If I'm able to make it through, I'm going to have to
play the winner of that match. Of course, you want to see what the other
person is doing on the other side of the fence. That's what I'm going to do.

Q. Do you think there's one thing about her game that you possibly don't know?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Who?

Q. Venus Williams.

SERENA WILLIAMS: She might have something in her back pocket that she hasn't
pulled out yet.

Q. Do you prefer to have her watching you or do you prefer playing her?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Have her watching me?

Q. Watching you and being in the crowd. Do you feed off of her presence or
would you much rather relish the challenge of being on the other side of the
net?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I mean, just to be honest, I prefer, I guess, to have her
watching me. In this tournament, I definitely would prefer to see her on the
other side of the net. In most tournaments, I really prefer to see her on the
other side of the net because I would like her to win her matches and meet up
with me. That would definitely be the most obvious choice.

Q. It's only in the last year or so that Venus has sort of drawn even with
Lindsay, been able to compete with her on a more equal basis. You're having
much more success with Lindsay at age 16 and 17. Why do you match up better
with Lindsay Davenport?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I think Lindsay really likes for people to hit
really hard, I guess. Venus really brings that game to her. Like I said,
Venus is more powerful than me. She's bigger and stronger. I can't have as
much power as Lindsay and Venus do. Maybe that gives her a little trouble. I
don't know.

Q. She's particularly tough in the forehand cross-court rallies. How do you
do in those with her?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I personally believe I have one of the best forehands
out there. Actually, it was me and Steffi competing. Every time I played her,
I would get in a rally, forehand cross-court. I probably won two. She won a
lot of them.

Q. Are you talking about Steffi or Lindsay?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Steffi.

Q. What about Lindsay?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I haven't played her recently enough to get her in the
forehand cross-court rallies. I watched her matches. She's really swinging it.

Q. Do you relish the challenge? Will you go down the line or say, "Okay,
Lindsay, here we go, let's hit five or six in a row cross-court"?

SERENA WILLIAMS: We'll just have to wait and see what I'm thinking at that
point in time.

Q. You said that your dad has been pretty much right all along. Do you ever
tell him that he's wrong?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Not necessarily, no.

Q. What are the consequences if you do that?

SERENA WILLIAMS: If you read my dad's comments, you'll notice that he says
it's a liberal family. What is it, a democracy? Yeah.

Q. Before this match you were asked what was your secret in playing Monica.
You wisely said you would not divulge your strategy. Now we're after the
match, can you tell us?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I really have no secret. I just go out there and play. If
you're playing Serena, honestly, even on a bad day, I'm tough to beat.

Q. The family has been here now in New York for about two weeks. It's a very
convenient time to begin negotiations for the Rockefellar Center. Do you know
if your dad has begun those negotiations?

SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, I think so. With Venus and I both still in the
singles and doubles, we can walk home with a pocketful of money. We might go
ahead and compete for Rockefeller Center.

Q. You said at the beginning of the press conference that in prior
tournaments you didn't necessarily feel a lot of crowd support. Is that true
and can you talk a little bit about that?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yes. Like overseas especially. Like at the Lipton, that's
definitely the most support. Overseas when I'm playing the other French
people, Germans, if I'm in Germany, they really support their people. There's
nothing wrong with that. It's a great thing. That's basically it.

Q. But in the US how is it, other than Lipton? How is it for you at other
tournaments?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Here it's really good. I remember Indian Wells, I was
playing Steffi in the final, she had a lot of fans. But she had most of the
crowd, I think. She's a great champion. Who wouldn't want to cheer for her?
What other? I mean, it was ironic, though, in LA where I was from. I was
playing Julie Halard in the final. She totally won the crowd because she had
so many wonderful wins. I think she beat Lindsay and someone else. I can't
remember.

Q. Do you think it's maybe because you guys have moved to Florida, that might
be part of it?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't think so. Everyone comes up to me, seems like
everyone comes up to me and said, "Good luck," yet I didn't have that much
support there. It's okay. I took home the title. That's all that matters.

Q. When you guys are like a match away from playing each other, I know you're
concentrating on the match ahead, but when you're at the Lipton, was there
ever a reason to feel uncomfortable because you were going to be playing your
sister or you got excited you would be playing against each other?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think it was uncomfortable maybe during the coin toss and
maybe the first game. After that, it's like you see her as an opponent
because you want to win. You don't think about anything else. Other than
that, other than like the first game, it's normal. You're out there and
competing and you have to compete.

Q. Would you say that you have the ultimate situation, to have a sister to
hit with, to have support from, just have that love?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I definitely do. I definitely have the best situation
because it's like traveling with a friend. Yeah, I mean, I get to travel with
my mom and dad. It's great, awesome.

Q. How often do you play sets when you're in training back home?

SERENA WILLIAMS: We really don't play sets much. We usually just practice and
do a lot of drills, really prepare with that stuff. We don't too much play
any sets. I think we like to keep that for the tournaments.

Q. Do you play points?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Not really. Usually we hit against other people. We have
other guys that we hit against. We don't really play points. Thanks.