SONY OPEN TENNIS

March 26, 2013

Serena Williams

MIAMI, FLORIDA

S. WILLIAMS/N. Li
6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR:  Questions, please.

Q.  How tough was it to come back today after that tough match against
Dominika yesterday?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  The only good thing about yesterday is I wasn't tired at
all, so it wasn't hard to come back today and play at all.

Q.  You're like the Miami Heat and like to give yourself a challenge and fall
way behind and fight harder?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  (Smiling.)  No, I don't.  This week it seems to be so far
something that I have done, at least my past two matches.
But it's good to be able to at least come back.

Q.  You must take comfort that you're a good problem solver out there.
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I like to believe that I try to be a solver.  I just try to
do things different if something is not working, you know.

Q.  This time in particular what did you do?  I know last night or yesterday
you said each time it's different that you're down, and last time you said, I
have been down worse; it's nothing; new just keep fighting.  What did you
tell yourself today?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Today it was like, Look, I just can't hit any more double
faults.  It's embarrassing and unprofessional.  I hit about 50 in one game,
and it was just outrageous.  (Laughter.)
It was like at this point I shouldn't be a professional tennis player.  That
was my goal, is like, I'm not hitting any more double faults.

Q.  You could tell you were exuberant at the end.  I loved your leap.  Can
you talk about that?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Well, yeah, I don't usually leap like that in the
quarterfinal, but it was just a good shot and I kind of expected her to get
it.
She didn't.  I was glad because she played such a good tiebreaker, and I
think it was the only point I won on her serve.  It was important for me to
win that.

Q.  That was different from your typical leap.  Do you have a name for that
or source of inspiration for it?  We got some good pictures of it.
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I hope so.  I don't know.  It was completely unexpected, an
unexpected leap.

Q.  You told the crowd that you always have intense matches with your
opponent, this opponent.  Is that right?  Is that true?  Would you talk about
that a little bit?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Yeah, she's a good player.  She always plays well and she
has such fight.  She never quits, and I think that we have a lot of that in
similar.
So it was --it's a good general overall a good match.

Q.  You're the only American woman left in the draw.  Sam's got it over
there.  Is that something you take pride in, or is it a little bit sad you
don't have more countrywomen...
SERENA WILLIAMS:  No, I think for the most part most Americans did pretty
good here, at least on the ladies side.  I just think there are so many great
American female players right now.
I just think, you know -- I think we're doing really good, to be honest.

Q.  I know that you don't like to talk about injuries, but there seemed to be
a little something going on with your hip.  Would you like to talk about that
at all?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Yeah, I just had a little bit of a problem, a little with
the hip, and it was just really weird.
So it just kind of --I don't know how to describe it.  It was just like I
felt it, and then...

Q.  Did it happen on that one particularly low backhand that you targeted?
 You got lower than you normally...
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I don't remember --it happened actually really early in the
first set, so I don't remember if it was the shot you're talking about or not.

Q.  You have made a record today.  You tied Steffi Graf with 59 tournament
match points here at Sony Open tennis, and I was wondering if you'd like to
comment on that.
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Cool.  I hope to get more.  If not this year, next year.
 That's all.

Q.  Breaking Steffi's record in the back of your mind?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  No, not at all.  She is such a great champion, past, and
when you go out there you don't think, I'm going to break this person's
record, I'm going to break that person's record.  You say, Okay, can I break
serve?

Q.  We're going to hit on some French Open stuff.  If you'll indulge me, what
memories do you have of the year you won the tournament there?  It's been a
long time now.
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Not many, just that I won.  That's about --I don't remember
much.  It's honestly been like way over a decade literally.  Yeah.

Q.  Too long, in your mind?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Too long.  (Rolling eyes.)

Q.  Are you eager to get back there with what happened last year?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I just hope I can win a match this year.  That would be
really nice.  I'll take it one match at a time.

Q.  Is the switch to clay, does it get easier as you get more experience?
 Going from the hard court season to the clay court season, what are the
challenges involved there?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  For me it gets easier.  I enjoy it because I'm playing, you
know, Charleston next week and it's not --it's fun, you know.  You feel like
you can hang in there and you can play.
I enjoy playing on the clay.  I enjoy sliding.  You have to be more
consistent, but I like it.

Q.  Speaking of the clay, are you going to miss the blue clay this year?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I don't know of anyone that's going to miss the blue clay.
 (Laughter.)
Q.I'd like to know what you think about how much the percentage of the tennis
is the mind of the players and the physical?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I think that's an interesting question.  I think for each
person it's different.  I don't know.  I think tennis is a lot --it has a lot
of mental involved, but obviously there is a lot of physical, as well.

Q.  You and Li Na are both 31 years old, and there are a couple of guys now
that got into the quarters that are also almost 31 and 31.  I know you talked
a little bit about age yesterday.  Is 30 the new 20?  Is it different now
than years ago?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I don't know.  I really don't.  I just feel like I'm doing
my best.  I feel great mostly.  So, yeah, I don't really know.  Age is just a
number sometimes they say (Shrugging.)

Q.  What's can you tell us about Radwanska?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Well, she doesn't miss.  She gets every ball back, and she
makes you fight for every single point.
So I don't know anything that could be less dangerous.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports