Serena Williams defeats Samantha Stosur
6-1, 6-1

SERENA WILLIAMS

Q.Serena, do you think that's about as well as you've ever played at all, and
especially on clay?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I have to say this is probably the best match I've
played in my career either in a long time or it's up there in the Top 5,
mainly because Sam is such an excellent clay court player, so yeah, so I
think that playing someone that's so good, Top 10, Top 5 and just doing so
well is a really good match for me.

Q. Serena, you played Sam the other week in Miami. How much did that play
into today's match?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think it helped. You know, I think it helped that I was
able to win in tough situations, but I also knew that it was a really --
almost a two-hour match, and I knew that I'm going to have to improve,
especially going against her on clay, which I think is her best surface. So
yeah, I think that helped me mentally prepare for it.

Q. Serena, what specifically do you think you did especially well today?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I think I didn't make a lot of mistakes today.
I had my unforced errors pretty low. I was really relaxed out there, and I
love that I'm playing some great tennis in my career at this point.

Q. Serena, what's it like out there when every serve seems to be working and
every shot falls in and you just keep building upon building?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. It feels good. You know, I've been working really
hard, and I struggled in the beginning of the year to get to this point, and
you know, being able to play a little better and everything working today was
pretty positive for me. I want to keep it up. Obviously this is just the
beginning of the clay court season. I'm trying to play like this at the end
of clay court season. So we'll see.

Q. Serena, you mentioned the end of the clay court season. I know you talked
before and earlier in your career about having secret goals and one of them
get into the year-end championship in doubles and things like that that
you've accomplished before and getting a second French Open and getting a
doubles set of the career slam is something that you're aiming to do?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, I didn't think about that, but yeah, I mean that's my
goal every year is to win the French Open, so hopefully this will be another
goal, another year. If not, believe me, I'll be there the next year and the
year after, so I'm going to keep trying and fighting and doing the best I can
do.

Q. Is there any way you can kind of compare your game now to where it was
when you won here in '08 in the finals that day?

SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, again, today I felt really relaxed, and in 2008 I
definitely was really relaxed. So I think I'm sliding better this year and
moving better. I don't know why because I only practiced one day on the clay
before I got here.
But I've obviously been training all year playing tennis, so I think that's
just the difference is I'm moving better and I'm sliding better and I'm
feeling a lot more comfortable with the transition from hard to clay.

Q. Have you played either of the other players you're going to face one of
them in the final. Have you played either of them before?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I've played Safarova several times, and I know both players
really well.

Q. Serena, it seems like you and Sam have a lot of mutual respect. She was
saying that you kind of just kept bringing the goods today and everything.
How important is it to have those players that you kind of get up for maybe a
little bit more, rivals and stuff?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't think I necessarily get up for her. I think she's a
great player. She has a Grand Slam under her belt, and she beat me if the
final of that and played unbelievable, but I thinkwhen you're playing someone
like her, you have to play well or you're going to lose. So that's how it was
in my mindset, okay, I'm playing Sam, a great player, so either I come or go
home. Go big or go home. Life.

Q. You hit a second serve ace at 124.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Really?

Q. Yeah.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No. Really? I definitely don't remember that. I think I hit
some balls with my eyes shut today. I swear I hit this one swing volley and
my eyes were closed and I don't know how I made the shot, so maybe it was
just one of those days.

Q. Did we see you in the zone?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. I think I was just -- you know, just one of those days
that I could have done anything today against anybody. Maybe I could have
played Andy again today and beat him. (Laughs). So danger. I'm definitely
ready for him now. Today. Just today.

Q. Serena, I just want to know what was up with that little pirouette that
you did --

SERENA WILLIAMS: I know, that's the shot with my eyes closed. And that's
probably why I did -- I didn't mean to spin and I was on the clay and I kept
spinning, and I was like, oh, my God, this is so embarrassing right now. I
hope nobody remembers this, and obviously you did.

Q. Serena, an off-topic question. Do you ever look at the photographers and
notice them, where they're focusing, hear the clicking, anything like that?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Actually I do and I shouldn't. Very rare but like sometimes
when you're serving, your eye line is just kind of t here, so naturally you
see them. But I don't necessarily focus on them.

THE MODERATOR: Anyone else?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Thank you.

End of Interview