MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAU

March 28, 2015

Serena Williams

MIAMI, FLORIDA

S. WILLIAMS/M. Niculescu
6-3, 6-1

THE MODERATOR:  Questions, please.

Q.  Now that you faced Monica twice in a short span, how would you describe
what it's like trying to deal with that spin and does it get easier the more
you face it?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  It was definitely easier today.  I knew what to expect.  I
still got a little frustrated, but overall was able to stay calm more than
the last time I played her.

Q.  How's the knee?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  It's okay.  It was a little sore in practice, but it was
okay today.

Q.  Can you talk about the weather last night and sort of how late were you
here and how frustrating was that?  Was it nice to come out and have the sun
today?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Yeah, it was a little frustrating because I'm a little
behind in matches so I have to play catchup now.  It's okay.
I wasn't out too late.  A little bit after 10:00.  Yeah.

Q.  So you just kind of sat around.  Did you think you were going to get the
match in when they said only your match was going to be played and they were
going to hold out for yours?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Yes, I was dressed, ready, taped, and ready to go.  I was
ready to play.  If I had to play last night, I would have been fine.  I was
playing and I was ready.  It just didn't work out.

Q.  I think you mentioned to the crowd that you were frustrated.  What was
most frustrating about your performance today?  Just the amount of unforced
errors?  Was it sort of trying to get a gauge of that spin from Monica?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I don't think I had that many unforced errors, especially
in comparison to the last time I played her.  I think that was a little bit
better.
Yeah, I don't know.  I was just trying to get through the match.  Nothing in
particular.

Q.  In that first set, getting that long volley in and winning that point, I
think it was probably the loudest roar of the match, was that when you knew
you were going to be okay moving laterally back and forth and chasing after
balls?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Yeah, I was surprised I was able to get it.  I was like,
Let me run for it.  I'm really fast when I want to be.  I can get any ball I
want to.  My coach is always like, If you want it, you can do it.  I just
have to want every ball.
Yeah, I guess I wanted to get to that.

Q.  Do you plan to go watch whatever is left of Venus' match?  I don't know
how much is left.
SERENA WILLIAMS:  No.  No, I play pretty much every day, so I got to get my
body ready for tomorrow.

Q.  Do you have any interest in the Ultra music festival, or totally zoned in
on tennis at this point?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I'm totally zoned in on tennis.  I have actually been to
the music festival at sometimes.  Sometimes it overlaps; sometimes it
doesn't.  I usually go when it doesn't overlap.

Q.  You told us a couple days ago every player goes in with pain in a match.
 What type of pain or what's the degree of the pain that you lived through
today?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I don't know.  I really didn't feel it today, to be honest.
 Once you step out on the court you have so much adrenaline going.  The
adrenaline kind of kills it.
So I was surprised.  I felt pretty good.

Q.  Is it correct you plan to play Fed Cup with Venus next month?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Yeah, I plan on it.  I plan on being there, so hopefully,
yeah.

Q.  How keen are you to try to get the United States back in the regular
rotation there?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  It would be good.  We deserve to be back in.  We have some
of the best players in the world.  We should be in the World Group A and
competing for the title.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports