WESTERN & SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP WOMEN'S OPEN


August 13, 2009


Serena Williams

CINCINNATI, OHIO


S. BAMMER/S. Williams
7-5, 6-4


THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Do you feel like the heat and the beginning-of-the-week-illness played a
factor today?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I definitely wasn't as fit as I normally was. I never
played worse in my life. It was really a bad match. I think I had about 50
unforced errors.
Any other questions? (Laughter.)

Q. Will you be doing any touring for your book?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I hope to do a lot of touring. I really want to go out there
to the fans and where they are and sign.

Q. Cleveland, Ohio?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Hopefully I can make it there. I would love to do a lot. The
tennis schedule is so hectic I have to see where I'll go.

Q. When your sister is on the opposite side of the bracket, a lot of people
look at that. Is that something you think about?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I just look to see which side we're on. That's the only
thing I look for.

Q. Besides not feeling well, was there any other reason for having troubles
today?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I just did not play well at all. I hit balls in the
bottom of the net and made so many unforced errors it was wasn't my -- anyone
could have beaten me today. It wasn't my day.

Q. In the past when you've had games like that you've been able to turn it
around. What was different about today?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Not always. You can't always turn them around. Sometimes I
can't and sometimes I do. I guess today was another one that I couldn't.
I really tried. I just kept making errors down to the last shot. I haven't
hit that many errors in a few years, actually.

Q. Were you feeling that during practice today, during warm-ups?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No. I actually felt really good in warm-ups. I think I hit
about 50 balls off the frame, in the match. I don't think you ever feel that
bad going into it, but it is what it is. It's whatever.

Q. It's kind of ironic. Venus had the same problem with a whole lot of
unforced errors today.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I've been training so hard. So this is a little
disappointing. But I hope my hard work pays off eventually, because I have
been working really, really hard. We'll see.

Q. Did you get a chance to talk to Venus before you went out?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No. I saw her after the match, and she just said she had
made a lot of errors. I was like, Wow, I didn't think I would do the same
thing, so...

Q. Do you guys use each other to bounce that off when you both have had
losses in the same day?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, we don't lose too much in the same day, so usually I'm
so pumped - and I was pumped today. I just couldn't get it together.
That's fine. I can't be on my game every day. You know, as long as I say I
went out there and I did what I could do today, that's all I can do. I just
hope I don't have another day like this for another several years.

End of FastScripts