WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 14, 2013

Serena Williams

CINCINNATI, OHIO

S. WILLIAMS/E. Bouchard
4-6, 6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR:  Questions, please.

Q.  Serena, I heard you say right before the second set started that you
thought it was the worst you'd ever played in your career.  Then you hit
three aces in the next game and everything seemed to be okay.  Can you talk
about what the first set was like and then turning it around.
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I was just really-- every ball I hit seemed to be going
out, and I even had the easiest approach shot and it went not slightly wide,
it was like 50 feet out.  That was actually embarrassing.
So I thought I'd never hit a shot like that professionally.  I have maybe in
practice with my eyes closed, but never conscious have I hit a shot like that.
So it was just some crazy tennis out there.  It was just really different
conditions, I think, than Toronto, and I always forget that it's so different
here.  So it took me a while to get used to it.

Q.  Has conditions always been hard for you in Cincinnati or just the change?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Apparently.  I have done well here once.  I got to the
finals once, but it was a smaller tournament back then.
Yeah, I have to get used to them because this is a tournament I don't have on
my roster.  And if I play like today, I'll continue not to have it.

Q.  Is it that the courts are slow or fast or the ball's not bouncing up?
 What's your impression of how the court is playing?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I'm not good with that.  You know, I'm never a player to
complain about conditions or anything.  Like I can play on any surface with a
baseball bat as long as it's Wilson.  But I don't know.  It's weird.  They're
fast, but it bounces high.
And I'm not used to playing with these types of balls.  Last week I think we
were using Wilson, and I think the US Open is a different ball.  I don't
know.  I'm not here to make excuses.  It was my footwork.  It wasn't that.
 It was definitely me.

Q.  Serena, last year at this tournament you and Venus were coming in here
with gold medals and talking about the 2016 Rio games.  Given if you both
have good health continuing, is that still the plan?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Yeah, hopefully.  There's so many Americans coming up;
hopefully we'll qualify.  It would be nice.  We're just taking it day by day,
year by year, week by week.
So we'll see how it goes.

Q.  Bouchard is one of the up and coming WTA players.  What are your
impressions of her game, and just overall what do you think?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I think she has a good game.  She has a good serve.  She
moves really well.  She hits the ball really, really well.  You know, there's
a reason she won Wimbledon Juniors.  There's a reason she did well at
Wimbledon this year.
She's just flying up the rankings, and it's because she's a really good
player.

Q.  Serena, what did you say to her at the net when the match was over?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  It was a good job.

Q.  Serena, the US Open today announced the official plans for a retractible
roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium.  I'm just wondering what you think of that and
that they determined they needed one.
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I'm on player council, so we get that information way ahead
of you guys.  That's old news.  You guys got to get with it.

Q.  You got to tell us more stuff.
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Obviously it's going to be great.  It's going to take a
really long time.  They have a long-term plan, super long term, and it's not
going to happen next year or the year after.  It's going to be a while.
It's good to know that they're going for it.  The weather is changing, I
think.  When I first started playing the Open back in the '90s, it didn't
rain, and now it rains only on the final weekend.  Last four US Opens I've
played they've had to change completely the schedule.
Yeah, you just got to keep moving with the times.  Yeah, it will be good.

Q.  Serena, you won as many titles in one season as you've ever had in your
career.  What would winning more than ever in your career mean to you?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  It would be cool.  I would really love to do that.  Yeah, I
would really like to.  That would be nice.

Q.  Serena, just kind of curious, is it hard traveling with a dog?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  No, not with my Chip.  With the girls it's a little harder,
but with Chip, it's a lot easier.

Q.  Do you take him out for walks like every morning?  Is he good inside the
room?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I got lucky.  He's a great dog and he can hold his bladder
for a long time.  I take him out in the mornings and usually when I get back,
and he's so good.  He goes straightaway.  He's really a good dog.
The girls can learn from him.  They go in the house still.

Q.  Speaking of the roof at Wimbledon, do you plan on still playing so that
you can at least experience the roof just once?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Still playing...

Q.  At that time, when it's all done.
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I don't remember the timeline.  It's a long time from now
to build that.  They were talking about for the roof it's going to be several
years.
Like I said, I'm taking it year by year, week by week.  I can't predict
tomorrow.  God willing, if I'm healthy, I'll still be here.  I don't know
about playing tennis or not, but obviously, I plan on playing for a long,
long time.  We'll see how it goes.

Q.  Serena, did you see the ESPN special on Venus?  Have you gotten a chance
to see it?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  No.

Q.  About the prize money.
SERENA WILLIAMS:  No, I didn't.

Q.  Serena, you're winning a lot this year.  Is there one or two shots that
you feel you're hitting better than you ever have?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  That's a good question.  I think I'm definitely more
consistent.  I mean, I've gotten more consistent throughout my career, but,
yeah, I think that's one of the thing that's helped me.
Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports