SONY ERICSSON OPEN


April 1, 2009


Serena Williams

KEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA


S. WILLIAMS/N. Li
4-6, 7-6, 6-2


THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How would you explain your slow start today?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I have to think about it. I just had a really
slow, retarded start.

Q. Were you tired? Did you get bad sleep?
SERENA WILLIAMS: None of the above. Maybe I was tired, but still not an
excuse really.

Q. Did you feel like you just weren't moving your feet?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Definitely wasn't moving my feet at all. Just, I don't know.
I just wasn't doing anything that made a lot of sense at all.

Q. Are you angry at yourself?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I'm a little disappointed. I don't think I played
great, but I'm glad to have gotten through.

Q. When you're down like that, does it ever just jump into your head to let
the set go and go for the next one? Because you did battle back.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I thought it was good for me to battle back, because I
felt like I could still win that set. I still had an opportunity to do well.
Unfortunately, I didn't win it.

Q. What does to tell you when you - I'm sure you feel like you played poorly
today - when you play that way and still can win and get to the semis?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Just that I need to be more consistent in my play more than
anything. I don't have to be out there going three sets, and just get
motivated.
That's what I think it tells me more than anything.

Q. Did you feel like you played well in the third set?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I definitely played better in the third set, which was good.
Because, I mean, I needed to play pretty well to win the match.

Q. She just said that your basically beat entire the Chinese Fed Cup team.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Seriously, I just -- it was -- I mean, I played a lot of
Chinese girls this week. Wow.
It was definitely a new experience. And hey, it's good news for the U.S. Fed
Cup team, I guess.

Q. I don't mean to lump them together, they're all different, but what's
tough about them? Do you feel like they have a good consistency on their
groundstrokes?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, obviously really consistent. They hit a flat ball and
keep the ball low. Just good players, as everyone is on tour.

Q. Given how different and close you and Venus are, how did you explain how
differently the two of you play? Does that ever surprise you, or have you
thought much about that?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I haven't thought much about it. I always thought we played
alike, but I guess maybe we don't. I don't know.

Q. Will you be out here watching tonight?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I definitely will watch the match, obviously. It's my next
opponent. So I'll watch and then go from there.

Q. Have you played the other girl?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Have I? I played her a lot, so...

Q. Did you give Venus any tips?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Venus has played her a lot, too. We both played her plenty
of times. A lot in Fed Cup, so yeah.

Q. How do you have to beat her?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Benesova?

Q. Yeah.
SERENA WILLIAMS: (Laughter.) You know, she's a lefty, so you have to -- and
lefties can being tricky. You always have to be on your toes.

Q. You feel like you're playing well enough this week to beat Venus tomorrow
night?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Is it at night?

Q. I assume so.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I feel like I am. I definitely feel like I need to
just keep that confidence and go with that and see what happens. Just play
the best that I can play.

Q. Do you feel the key to the match today was you holding on to those
breakpoints that she had in the second set? She would have served for the
match twice. Was that the key for you?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I honestly don't even remember that, so...

Q. What will stand out for you about this match? Anything specific?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Um, I mean, yeah, obviously. But I just can't think of
anything right now.

Q. Just didn't know if I would watch this match again or just put it in the
recycle bin and say, forget that, and just move on.
SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm thinking about just shredding the DVD, too.

Q. Do you watch past matches, win or lose, to study them?
SERENA WILLIAMS: If I'm not playing well I watch the ones that I lose, which
is complete torture.

Q. How does that help you?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Because, believe me, I don't ever want to watch a match that
I lost, so it helps me not to lose. So maybe tonight I'll watch a match that
I lost.

Q. Did you talk to your dad at all? He showed up late in the first set.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, after the match I did, because he's -- I could call
him out on the court as my coach. Venus is usually my coach, but I guess she
wasn't available to come out today. She came out before, though.

Q. Why didn't you call him out today? Any reason?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Honestly, I hate that. I really do. I almost think it's -- I
just hate it. I'm not saying I would never use it, because I have in the
past.
I feel like the best thing about tennis is that tennis the only sport where
you're on your own. If you need a coach, then...
All my life, you know, the greats, like Martina and Steffi, you know, Monica
Seles and all the greats never used that mechanism. I think it takes away
from -- I don't know, I don't love it. I don't love it at all.

Q. You seemed to start playing better about the time that he showed up on the
side. Did it boost your spirits a little bit, or is that just a coincidence?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I just felt like he was there really supporting, and I felt
more the support when he was up close as opposed to in the stands.
I don't know, I just felt like I could take it up to another level.

Q. How would you grade your play in the first set?
SERENA WILLIAMS: If I was in school and I was like the professor and I had to
give myself a grade, I would give myself like an 8% out of 100, which is
failing. (Laughter.)
Q. And by the end, the final grade of the whole match?
SERENA WILLIAMS: The whole match is still an F. But it is what it is. It's
over with. I'm honestly glad to get through it.
I feel like I wasn't as upbeat and spirited as I normally am. I think I maybe
one or two, Come ons during the whole match, which is not really normal for
me.
I give it a A for -- well, a B for effort.

Q. Did you feel just coming on that you weren't as spirited, or just the way
the match was going?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I don't know. I'm really moody, so maybe that had
something to do with it.

Q. You just started out that way?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah.

Q. What mood do you need to take into a match against Venus?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm always going to be up for V, because she's playing
really well and always playing me super tough. I feel like playing her it's
like I have to automatically be on a different level because she's already
playing an a different level.
Her balls are harder and her serve is way bigger. It's like I have to be
there. And it's fun. Not that this wasn't, but it's super fun to like hit
these serves that are like 120. It's frustrating, but at the same time fun.

Q. There was a time you guys didn't play for a while, and now you're meeting
more regularly. Does that frequency make it any easier?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I mean, as long as it's in the finals it's okay. We
are always in the same side of the draw nowadays, so...

End of FastScripts