Venus Williams defeats Monica Puig
6-2, 5-7, 6-3

VENUS WILLIAMS

Q. Venus, I guess it took a little longer than you would have liked but you
got the job done especially during the third set. If you could just talk
about the match overall.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. In the beginning I think we were both finding our
rhythm and I was able to stay tougher in the first set, but she really found
her rhythm in the second and started controlling the points and I think
started rushing a lot. So on the third I just, you know, just tried to play
confident and hopefully get some first serves in.
And she played really, really well and she should be, you know, looking
forward to a lot of great wins in the future.

Q. How are you feeling physically? Obviously this is your first match since
pulling out of Miami.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.

Q. So you are serving pretty well. Does that seem like a good sign? How are
you feeling about it?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm actually taking a lot off my serve a lot of times. So
sometimes it just goes hard, I don't know why, because my arm, feels like my
arm is moving slow. But a lot of the times I'm just trying to be reserved and
try to, you know, get through the tournament. And I really wanted to play
here so I did my best to get ready to play and it's good to start with a win.

Q. Do you feel okay physically now or--

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I feel much better now. But, like I said, I don't want
to serve too hard until I'm up to 100 percent.

Q. Is that hard for you to hold back? Because you have obviously been a go
for broke player a lot?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, it's hard, but then when it hurts it reminds me, okay,
pull back.

Q. What is the specific back injury that you have been dealing with?

VENUS WILLIAMS: My joint has gotten inflamed. So it's just kind of hard to be
all the way prepared, but at that point for me it's just about mentally being
tough and mentally winning the match. So that's what it's about for me.

Q. You play Lepchenko tomorrow who, of course, you know very well. What are
your thoughts on that match up?

VENUS WILLIAMS: She is a very talented left hander, she is a strong, strong
girl, strong player and, you know, really has just gotten into her own in the
last year. So I'm sure it will be a competitive match and I hope to come out
on top.

Q. You obviously made a lot of noise when you were a teenager and now you are
facing all these teenagers. What do you feel like? Do you think about the age
difference when you play these girls and get any extra satisfaction after
being a vet, taking out the teenagers or do you not think about that at all?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, it's good to be a vet, it means you have all the tricks
in the bag. So, it's an advantage I think. And I don't really think about the
age. There is, you know, only enough time on the court to think about the
ball. You think about more than that, it's not going to go well.

Q. Venus, how is it going?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Good. How is your forehand?

Q. My back actually hurts and I didn't do anything. So but tomorrow the movie
Venus and Serena comes out on iTunes. And I was wondering there was reports
in the LA Times that both you and Serena weren't happy with the way the movie
turned out. So I just wanted to ask for a comment if those reports were
correct or incorrect?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I mean we spent a lot of time filming in 2000--

Q. '11?

VENUS WILLIAMS: '11 and it's gone by too fast. You know, obviously we wanted
the film to, you know, reflect, you know, our life and we want it to be
successful. So yeah, that's all it is.

Q. Towards the end of the year is when you were diagnosed with the Sjogren's
Syndrome. Would you like to see more of kind of what that whole experience
was like? Because it was a very, relatively small part of the movie.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. You know, I don't -- no, I mean I'm okay with
everything.

Q. Towards the end of the match I saw, ran into your father outside and he
was having a smoke and he just said, I had to have a smoke right now. Do you
notice when he is gone? Or do you look to yourself for support?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, sometimes I do when I look over but not always, but I'm
used to him, he is always getting up and down, in and out so I'm used to that.

Q. Great. Were you planning to play the whole match in your jacket? It's a
very nice jacket.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Thank you.

Q. But I was surprised to see it on all three times.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I was too, I was planning on playing the first three games,
but it was just so cold out there, it was so much warmer with the jacket. I
guess it's a new tennis fashion statement I guess. Hopefully be warm tomorrow
so maybe I'll through the peach one on and that's going to be that. But, you
know, looked good I think.

Q. Just go back to your opponent. She obviously played really well. You said
you were impressed with her. What specifically were you impressed with?

VENUS WILLIAMS: She competes so well and I like that she is working on her
game. She goes for her shots. And in the beginning tho se shots may not
always land, but if you keep going for it and competing well like she does,
they'll start to go in.
So that's a good sign in a young player.

End of Interview...