WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 16, 2013

Serena Williams

CINCINNATI, OHIO

S. WILLIAMS/S. Halep
6-0, 6-4

THE MODERATOR:  Questions, please.

Q.  Serena, how do you feel like you're playing here this week?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I definitely haven't felt good all week, so surprised I'm
still in the event, to be honest.
I'm still alive, and that's what matters.

Q.  How tough was it to play Mona last night and then come back out again
this afternoon and play Simona?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  It wasn't so tough.  I slept late, so I was fine.

Q.  You get Li Na next with less than a day of rest.  Tough match anyway, but
does it make it tougher?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  No.  She's a really tough player whether she had a day off
or a three- or five-set match today.  She's so fit, she would be ready to
play just as tough tomorrow.  So that doesn't matter.
It will be a really tough match because she has such a good game and she does
everything so well.

Q.  Some of the guys were saying the conditions were playing quicker with
increased temperatures.  Do you feel that perhaps on some of your forehands
they were jumping more today.
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Definitely.  They were sliding through the court, and so I
caught it super late and I looked a wee bit unprofessional.  But it was okay.
 I've looked unprofessional all week, so it's fine.

Q.  You're obviously not happy with your form, but you still got a bagel
today.
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I'm alive, yeah.

Q.  So are you just feeling that things are clicking for you even if you're
not feeling good?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Yeah, things are here.  It's not really about how you play
at the end-- I mean, it is about how you play.  It's about being able to win,
whether you play good or bad.
I was able to so far and be in the semifinals.  So, you know, considering,
it's a good result.  I obviously want to do better, and I'll just see how it
goes.

Q.  I know you talked about not having won here before and wanted to do it.
 You've won a lot of tournaments.  Is this one of the biggest ones you
haven't won yet?  Is it still on the tennis bucket list for you here?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I have quite a few things on my tennis bucket list.  This
obviously is one of them, but I like to believe, if it doesn't happen this
year, I always have another chance.

Q.  Even with that 6-0 first set, are there things that you thought you could
have been done better?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  The first set I thought I played really well.  I actually
was surprised I made some shots, because I really don't remember looking at
the ball.  Could have swore I caught it late, and I was like, How did that go
in?
So a few times I don't even think my eyes were open.  So it was just a really
good set for me.

Q.  In addition to Cincinnati, can you share a few other items on your tennis
bucket list.
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I've never won the tournament in Porsche Grand Prix in
Germany.  That's one of the first tournaments I played when I was really
young.  So I've actually never won that one.
I'm really good friends with the tournament director, so we always joke about
it.  (Laughter. )
Q.Full bucket.
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Yeah, yeah.

Q.  Tokyo?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  No.  I still have some mixed titles to get.  I have some
mixed doubles titles to get.  The mixed titles are No. 1 on my list.

Q.  Serena, do you plan to watch the Federer-Nadal match by any chance?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  If I can make it back in time, sure.  I hope so.  I love
watching those two guys play.  They're just amazing athletes, and they're so
good at what they do.  I'm really happy to see Roger playing better again.
It's no secret that I'm a massive Rafa fan.  So, yeah, it will be really good
to watch.

Q.  What do you think of Rafa's year?  It was sort of an off-year for him.
 He was No.1 last year and down to No.5 or 6 now.  As being a player on top
for a long time and going down some, what do you make of his slide this year?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I don't know.  He's so consistent.  I don't make anything
of it.  I wish I could be as consistent as this guy.  He's a real champ.

Q.  Serena, who would you want to partner with with respect to playing mixed
doubles?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I need Roland Garros, and I really would love to play with
Llodra because he's French and he has a great-- he's lefty, and he's just
great.
I haven't decided for Australia yet.

Q.  Have you asked him?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Yeah, we had plans.  We could have played this year, but my
doubles partner pulled out at the last minute, so kind of messed me up a
little bit.
But maybe it was for the best.

Q.  Serena, people talk about having fun on the court and how that's
important for their results.  But it's also your career, your profession.
 How important do you think that is?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  It's important to have fun on the court, and I feel like,
for me, it's a job and this is what I do.
But today I was out there thinking, Whether I win or lose, I'm playing
tennis.  I'm out here and I'm having a good time.
Every moment is really cool to be able to do that.

Q.  Serena, how did you end up with Sascha's shorts?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Well, he needed to wash his laundry, so he had to pay
taxes.  (Laughter.)

Q.  Are you going to play mixed at the US Open?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  No, no.  I've won that one already.  It's not on the bucket
list.  It's in the bucket.
Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports