SONY ERICSSON OPEN


April 2, 2009


Venus Williams

KEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA


S. WILLIAMS/V. WILLIAMS
6-4, 3-6, 6-3


THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. So it's another chapter in a book. What was the theme for you this time?
VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, it was a well-fought match. I definitely would have
liked to get a few more points off my serve. You know, I think my serve
wasn't going as well as I wanted today. But she brought a lot have balls back
and played tough.

Q. When did you guys last hit together?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. I don't keep track.

Q. Was it in the past couple days, or has it been a week?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't keep track.

Q. Now it's going to be on clay. What are your expectations about the clay
season?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Always expect to do well. Each tournament I go to I'm going
for the win.

Q. What about the French Open? It was a bit disappointing for you last year.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I had some issues last year. That was last year.

Q. It's completely different?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Totally.

Q. How did you feel you played tonight?
VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, I think I had some errors sneak in sometimes. That
doesn't help.
I did the best I could today. I'm just looking to do better always.

Q. Did you feel like the level picked up in the third set from both of you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think so. But in any third-set match the stakes are
higher. You know, at that point it's winner take all. So, yeah, it's always
good.

Q. Trouble with your serve today. You gave her lots of breakpoint
opportunities.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, my service games didn't go exactly the way I wanted
today.

Q. Are you still surprised by the way Serena plays?
VENUS WILLIAMS: She's a great player, so I expect her to play great.

Q. Do you feel like she's able to go through like a dry spell, three, four
games, and she could just, when she knows she's in trouble, she has that
switch she can just turn on?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, you know, she plays well always. I mean, I like to
think if there's three or fours games where she doesn't play as well, maybe
it has something to do with me if I'm playing her at that moment.

Q. What would you do differently against her? Anything?
VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, it's still so close to the match. I'll definitely
have to think about it. I'm sure we'll play again. I'll make those
adjustments.

Q. You two going to hang out tonight, dinner, late snack?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It's almost midnight. It's not hang-out time.

Q. Is there any sense that even though you lost, you enabled her to retain
her No. 1 ranking?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm really -- even though she's my sister, I'm still here to
win the matches. You know, I can't give anyone anything.
So I'm disappointed that I lost tonight, whether or not she kept the ranking
or not.

Q. How would you gauge the final now between Serena and Victoria? Obviously
you've played them both.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, Serena is -- obviously Victoria is talented. But, you
know, Serena -- yeah, Serena is Serena.

End of FastScripts