NASDAQ-100 OPEN

March 31, 2004

Venus Williams

MIAMI, FLORIDA

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Venus, please.

Q. How is your ankle feeling?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm okay, thank you.

Q. Despite the result, how do you think you did?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, I was okay. I definitely felt like I could play better. I
definitely felt like she played some of her best tennis. That was really good
for her.

Q. Seemed like right after that you were out for a couple minutes with the
ankle injury, you came back and played so well. What was up with that? Why do
you play so well?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I just kept trying to play better, I think. I lifted my game
a little bit in the second set and, you know, I just couldn't -- I didn't
have any room for errors today. I couldn't make mistakes. She was just
playing so well.

Q. Did the ankle affect you much after you hurt it?

VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, I just had to keep playing as if nothing was
bothering me if I was going to stay out on the court. That's really what I
tried to do.

Q. You had a chance to put it away. I think you had several double-faults.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. It was sunny and the wind kept blowing and my toss got
crazy. So, you know, that was not good.

Q. Could you have imagined serving six straight faults?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Really? I don't remember that.

Q. After the match Elena said on television, "After the medical break, I was
thinking she was a good actress because she was moving so much better than
before."

VENUS WILLIAMS: Maybe I should talk to her. I clearly twisted my ankle and I
had issues there. If that's the way she feels, that's fine. These days, in
order to be a champ and to be a winner, you have to play under all
circumstances and I think that's what I did.

Q. Where do you think you are now? You've had an up and down year. Australia
started okay. Then you've had injuries. You're not the Venus we've known, but
where do you stand?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Just on the up and up.

Q. You feel it's coming?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Uh-hmm.

Q. The injury, right when it happened did you think that was it? Did you
think you'd be able to play? How much was it excruciating at that moment?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I just felt like maybe I could walk it off and I was going to
try to play that point. Then I realized, "Okay, I need to get some kind of
treatment or attention." So then after that I was able to get those two
points quickly to win that set. That was nice for me.

Q. Did the ankle injury get worse as it went on? Or towards the end, did
fatigue set in?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I just tried to ignore it. No, I didn't get tired at all.

Q. What's your schedule?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm just gonna go play the Family Circle Cup.

Q. Then Europe?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.

Q. Rome?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No.