WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 12, 2014

Venus Williams

CINCINNATI, OHIO

L. SAFAROVA/V. Williams
6-7, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR:  Questions, please.

Q.  Obviously a tough turnaround physically, but just talk about that a
little bit.  Disappointed to get your match ended so early on Tuesday?
VENUS WILLIAMS:  Yeah, it was definitely a quick turn around.  Maybe would
have been a little better to play a little later in the day.
But, I mean, I think she just played so well.  No matter what shot I hit she
hit a winner, or if I hit it really deep she somehow managed to control it
down the line.
I think a lot of it was just her.  I think she got a little tight at 5-1.  So
I had some chances to come back, but it's a deep hole.
I think she just played really well.  You know, I just have to keep it a
little closer, because it seems like maybe when things get close she gets a
little tighter.
But sometimes it's just, you know, tough to play opponents who are just, you
know, hitting everything off every shot.  She just managed to do that today.

Q.  When did you get in, Sunday or Monday?
VENUS WILLIAMS:  I got in Sunday.  Yeah.

Q.  Parts of your game that you weren't happy with or didn't feel were up to
snuff?
VENUS WILLIAMS:  I think I would have liked to move forward a little well, a
little more, and maybe be a little more effective on the return.  She served
really well the ones that landed and served really well on break points.
She did a lot of things.  It's a tough draw, as well, to play her in the
first round.  In the last few weeks have been playing all the top players and
just didn't manage to come through on this one.

Q.  Is it hard to get used to playing deep into tournaments every week?
VENUS WILLIAMS:  Yeah, I think so.  But like I said, I think she just played
really well and just had so many shots.  I think she just kept going for them
and they kept going in.
You know, finally at 5-1 is kind of where she kind of came off of the gas
pedal.  A lot of the times I was just trying to defend from just amazing
shots she was hitting all the time.

Q.  After what you did last week, do you look at this as a setback at all or
she just played...
VENUS WILLIAMS:  This is one tournament out of many.  That's pretty much how
I see it.  I didn't think I played badly.  I just think my opponent played
better and I wasn't able to capitalize on my opportunities when I had them.

Q.  How happy are you with your US Open prep overall?
VENUS WILLIAMS:  Yeah, I definitely would have liked to play more matches
here.  You know, maybe it's easier to get a little bit easier draw, too.
I think for her too she just feels like, Oh, I have to go for everything.
 You just feel loose when you come out, because maybe you're not supposed to
win the match and just everything is just flying everywhere.
You know, so I think I got just -- in the third set I think I got a little
bit impatient because I wanted my shots to be more effective, but somehow she
just was hitting shots everywhere.
So I think I just got impatient trying to go for a little too much instead of
just taking my time until I got some opportunities.  I think that was just a
tactical error in the third set.  And then, you know, I have to just learn
from that.

Q.  When you won the challenge near the end and won the last game, did you
feel yourself gaining some momentum there?
VENUS WILLIAMS:  Yeah, I mean, you have chances at those points, but she
managed to play well.  On her serve she had the opportunity to serve it out,
and she did a good job to do that.

Q.  How does this alter your plans?  Do you stay here and practice?  Do you
go home and practice?
VENUS WILLIAMS:  No, I'm going to go home.  Uh-huh (smiling).

Q.  You look so sad about that.
VENUS WILLIAMS:  Yeah, I would like to stay longer, but I have already moved
on to the next thing mentally.  What else are you going to do?

Q.  In Canada, were you surprised by how well you were able to bounce back
day after day after tough physical matches, or is that what you can expect
from yourself now?
VENUS WILLIAMS:  Yes, that's what I would like from me every time.  Today I
was even surprised at how much I was able to push myself, because I wasn't
sure how well I was going to be --how long I'd be able to go after all those
matches.
I wish I could have felt today like I did-- you know, how I did today in the
final, just to have a little bit more-- in Montreal, just to make it more
competitive.
So I definitely would have liked to have switched days.

Q.  For those of us who weren't there, can you just address a little bit the
fact that it's been a while since you had a win over Serena?  You got so
close, but you have also had a great career rivalry.
VENUS WILLIAMS:  Yeah, it was just a match where you just kind of keep going,
and then finally at the end you're a winner.  In those kind of matches you
just try your best and try to win and try to get it to work out.

Q.  You have had some good success at WTA events, but haven't quite been how
you'd like to be at the slams last couple of years.  Anything you'd change in
your approach going into New York?  Try to change something or I don't know
how you focus on that?
VENUS WILLIAMS:  Yeah, just try to have good preparation and try to be
relaxed as possible.  Let my good game shine through.  I don't think anything
special.  You have to play well.  This is no magic formula.  I have to do
that.

Q.  It was a little windy out there.  When your toss gets wonky and
everyone's does once in a while, do you ever feel bad or embarrassed after
catching it after you toss it up?
VENUS WILLIAMS:  No.  It was a bad toss.  It's just not going to work.  So
sorry, no, I don't feel bad.

Q.  Has there been talk with Serena about playing doubles in NewYork?
VENUS WILLIAMS:  I think we always assume we're going to play unless somehow
we don't.  So the assumption is we are playing unless somehow we don't.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports