US OPEN


September 6, 2002


Venus Williams

NEW YORK CITY


THE MODERATOR: First question for Venus, please.

Q. Love-40 in the last game, you load up a 116, a 114, 122 or something like
that. Are you just challenged there at that point? Did you feel the need to
respond?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I just -- I suppose I just didn't want to let the game go.
Things hadn't gone as well as I thought they would go the whole match, and I
surely didn't want to have to get to 5-All. So it was nice to have a good
service game when I was on the brink of losing it.

Q. The other day you said after the match with Chanda, "It was kind of nice
to know you could get through with a win and not have your A game." Do you
feel that way about the match today?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Definitely. I just... I just wasn't able to do everything I
wanted to. I think also she played very well. She was trying to retrieve
balls and really take the game to me. So I definitely played a really good
opponent today.

Q. Did you feel good about your game?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I always feel good about my game. I have to. I have to be
positive at all times because I'm my best cheerleader.

Q. Would you call that "just another routine Venus finish"?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I have no idea.

Q. Were you shooting for the ace?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah (smiling).

Q. At Love-40, what's going through your mind? Are you trying to relax, stay
calm?

VENUS WILLIAMS: At that point I was really relaxed. I was never really
nervous throughout the whole match, I just wasn't able to keep my errors
down. I wasn't able to do everything I wanted to do in the court. I don't
think I had the best practice going out to play the match, so I was a little
distracted by that also.

Q. Do you have a blister on your hand?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.

Q. Did that occur during the match or was it something you had going in?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I think I noticed it before the match. But I guess it
kind of reared its head during, so... Just another challenge.

Q. How much of an impediment was it for you?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, once I was able to get it wrapped, it was a lot better.
After a while I started realizing that it was holding me back. I've never had
, like, to have my hand wrapped or a blister on my hand before, ever. So it
helped a lot.

Q. Does it affect your grip when you have tape on your hand?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I felt a lot better because it was protected and it
wasn't -- the grip wasn't directly on the skin.

Q. When did it give you the most problem, with your forehand and your serve?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't remember anymore. Probably.

Q. How is it for tomorrow?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think okay. I suppose -- I hope I wouldn't let a blister
hold me back from playing my best tennis. But sometimes the little things are
the worst.

Q. When you look across the net tomorrow, whether it's Serena or Lindsay,
will you see an opponent or will you see something different depending on who
it is?

VENUS WILLIAMS: All in all, I'm really just here to try and take the title.
After that, I can go home.

Q. At Love-40, is your method , "I'm just going to blast my way out of this"?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know, just...

Q. Three really good serves.

VENUS WILLIAMS: It was a great game. I think four great first serves from me
to get to matchpoint. Finally a second. I think she just went for broke and
didn't come up with it the last point.

Q. Is that an ability? I mean, Pete is known to be able to raise his serve at
crunch time in an incredible way. Do you talk to yourself? Is that something
you can practice in any way? Is it adrenaline? Can we learn it?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I have no idea. I just -- I was just very relaxed. They kept
going in. I definitely felt that I was gonna go for it.

Q. When you're up in the first, you took the first set, now you break her and
are up 3-2 in the second set, do you start to think about the finals at that
point?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I lost my serve and I hit two double-faults. That was a
point where I think I should have gotten my hand wrapped, but I kept going a
few more games. But...

Q. You had played her four times before. Was this the best you played against
her?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Was this the best she played against me?

Q. Yes.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Probably not. Probably not. I think it was tough to be in the
semifinals and always play your best tennis, especially -- she's done it
twice this year, which is a great result. But I feel like I'm a little more
experienced and probably able to stay a lot more calmer in these situations,
so that was probably tough for her.

Q. If you have to play your sister tomorrow, if you do, are you at the point
now where you can put aside the sister stuff and get out there and play her
like an opponent? I know it was hard earlier on. You seem to be working
toward that point where you just battle.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Where's the problem? There's no problem.

Q. Before it was almost like it was too much love between you guys.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Too much love (laughter)?

Q. You said that you're just here to win the title. Does that mean you
wouldn't mind facing Lindsay tomorrow?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I'd rather face Serena.

Q. Because...?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Because I want her to do her personal best.

Q. You talked about feeling calm. I was wondering, what do you think -- why
do you think you're able to be calm and really come through with every big --
on every big point you need, you seem to come through with an answer. What do
you think it is about you that enables you to do that when other people
can't?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, you know, there was a time when I wasn't able to do
that, when I was younger. And after a while, I was able to start getting
those big points. You know, the last few years, it's all kind of going my way
most of the time. So maybe it's something that I expect it to go my way, but
it doesn't always. Sometimes you have to work a little bit harder. Hopefully,
there's a little extra in there in the tank.

Q. You were talking earlier about being nervous. Are you always nervous
during matches?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Was I nervous? I said I was nervous during the match?

Q. You're never nervous?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No.

Q. Was there ever a time when you were nervous during a match?

VENUS WILLIAMS: During, yeah, sure, sometimes. It's normal. But I try not to
let it hold me back, try to still perform.

Q. If, in fact, two people from the same family reach a Grand Slam for the
third straight time, the indications are that would be the case, what kind of
commentary do you think it is on that family?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well... They were very good athletes, that family (laughing).
I suppose pretty good competitors. Which family is this (laughter)?

Q. Do you know them?

VENUS WILLIAMS: (Smiling).

Q. Do you feel the level of play has been high when you play Serena in the
finals of these majors?

VENUS WILLIAMS: It depends on what you consider "high." Lots of people would
love to play at the level we play at.

Q. To your standards.

VENUS WILLIAMS: To my standards, every time I've gone out there and done my
best. Whether it was my best day, I can't say in every match. But I do go out
there and perform to the best of my ability.

Q. After Wimbledon you were talking about how you wanted to firm up some
areas of your game throughout the summer. Now you're going into the final.
What's the state of your game? Are you pretty pleased with it.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I've been doing okay. It's just been a long season. I'm just
holding on, more tournaments in the fall.

Q. Do you feel like you go into the final tomorrow night and the level that
you want can come out?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think it's really just all in the mind. It's just all in
the mind for me. It's not really about anything physical anymore. Mentally, I
just have to be there.

Q. Did you have a specific game plan today, how to play Amelie? Was it
unfolding? What was happening?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, really I just wanted to play aggressive, to play my
normal game. I don't think I was really always able to do that.

Q. You and Serena have any plans tonight? What are you going to do? Go to
dinner in the city?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I haven't even been to dinner these whole two weeks.

Q. Why is that?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I just never felt like it.

Q. Room service kid, are you?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I order, take-out.

Q. How is she playing, do you think? Have you watched her closely?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Serena, I think she's playing really well. To be honest, it's
really easy to play well after you've won two Grand Slam titles and your
confidence is at an all-time high. I've been there and I've done that before.
You feel pretty much like you can do anything.

Q. At one point Serena said she felt she was playing for the younger sisters
of the world. Do you think you're playing for the older sisters of the world?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No.

Q. Can you shake her confidence if her confidence is that high?

VENUS WILLIAMS: (Shrugging her shoulders. ) Not so interested in shaking her
confidence. I think any time that I go out there and I'm worried about my
opponent's game, I can't even play. I more or less have to focus on myself.

Q. You mentioned how different it is in terms of confidence going in after
you won two Grand Slam titles. Looking forward to tomorrow, how different is
it for you than say four years ago when you didn't have the credentials yet?

VENUS WILLIAMS: How is it different now?

Q. Yeah, I mean, psychologically. You've been on the big stage, in the finals
of quite a few Grand Slams now.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, it's a lot better definitely having these Grand Slams
behind my game. But those were still fun times four years ago. I still look
back and I can't remember having bad times.

Q. How important is it for you to regain the No. 1 ranking, which you'll do
if you win tomorrow?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, it would be real nice. I've played really good for the
last couple years and it seems like I can't get to that No. 1 ever - or just
stay there. So it would be nice to definitely be on top.

Q. Do you like your game more or less than you did two or three years ago,
and why?

VENUS WILLIAMS: If I play too much, I don't like tennis. I can't play a very
busy schedule. I have to play just enough. And I have to play for me. As long
as I don't play too much, I like it a lot.

Q. Have you played the right amount this year?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I've played a lot, to be honest, for me. I really gave extra
effort to play more and to, you know, fulfill my obligations to the tour. But
that's been really difficult for me. Really, everyone has different
personalties and different points of how much they can play. I think I'm just
at that lower threshold.

Q. Is that just because you have other interests and you want to tend to
those as well? Is it just too physically demanding?

VENUS WILLIAMS: That could be a factor because I like to do things outside of
the tennis court. Just because, you know, I play tennis, shouldn't mean that
my whole life should be tennis. I suppose it's just me.

Q. How much do you like to play on that court? Do you really feel you have a
good understanding of how to play on Ashe stadium?

VENUS WILLIAMS: It's very nice. When you play the match in the semifinals it
gets a little bit tricky because of the shade, half and half. As long as I'm
just watching the ball, I'm okay.

Q. As one asks tennis fans about Venus and Serena playing each other, they
seem to be split. Some would like to see you play each other for the next ten
years. Some would feel, "No, we'd like to see something different." Do you
think you playing your sister is great for the game or women's tennis?

VENUS WILLIAMS: To be honest, I don't see why the question could be relevant
why it would be bad for tennis. It's never been asked before. So I don't
understand the question. It's just hard these days. When you win, there's a
problem. When you lose, there's a problem. So what do you want me to do
(smiling)?

Q. As much as the fans love you, did you sense they were actually looking for
an upset today, just the way they were...

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, maybe. It's -- you know, even when I find myself
watching matches, it's always nice to see the lower player do well and to do
something fantastic. So I can definitely understand where that's coming from.
But I don't know. At least I wanted myself to win out there. I think I had
quite a few fans.

Q. Everybody talked about how great the match was between you and Serena in
the final at Wimbledon. Result aside, was it enjoyable to play at such a high
level with Serena on such a big stage? Did you just have a great time doing
it?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, it was hard, you know, because I lost the match. It
wasn't fun, that's for sure. But at least I look back and at least I was the
finalist. But it's always nice playing in the Wimbledon final - any final,
any tournament.

Q. Next week in New York there's going to be a lot of -- I wouldn't call it
celebration -- but the anniversary of the World Trade Center. Have you
changed much since last year, how you see yourself as a citizen or whatever
since this time last year?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I can't say that I've changed. I mean, we all realize that
we're living in critical times these days so the best thing to do is say your
prayers and read your Bible. That's my opinion.