DONGFENG MOTOR WUHAN OPEN

October 2, 2015

Venus Williams

WUHAN, CHINA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Could you explain why you've been late for a while.
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I'm right on time (smiling).

Q. You delayed the time for almost an hour. What did you do in the past hour?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm right on time. This is exactly where I want to be, 8:30,
Friday night. Perfect.
THE MODERATOR: Questions about the match.

Q. Have you shared the news with your sister?
VENUS WILLIAMS: About what?

Q. About winning the game.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think she knows. She said, Good job. Yes.

Q. So you've already shared with her?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I mean, she watches my scores, so I don't really have to
share because she knows what's happening. I'm her sister.

Q. A tough match and a physically grueling one. Talk us through the ups and
downs throughout and how you were able to close it out in the final
tiebreaker.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I mean, a lot of ups and downs. I hope that on a day
when I'm playing how I'd like, it's a more straightforward match.
She's definitely tricky. She finds a way to hang in there. She wins a lot of
points on errors. She has some moments where she plays aggressive, too.
Mostly I feel like I could make a few less errors. This is probably a match
that maybe isn't as dramatic. But definitely credit to her for pushing the
issue.

Q. After you had the 5-2 lead, she started to battle back. Talk a little bit
about your mindset and how you turned that around, not get down on yourself
and frustrated.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, it's the semifinals. It's not time to get down. It's
time to figure it out. Even down match point, I don't remember what happened
on that point. I do know she had a match point. It's not over. Just like when
I was up and she didn't give up, I felt the same way.

Q. What does it mean to you to make the final here this week?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Awesome. It's not over yet. Still have matches to play.
Definitely not satisfied with just making the final. I'd like to take the
title and take it a step further.

Q. You had a tough match yesterday, a tough match today. You fought very hard
to get out of these situations. How do you feel for the recovery for the
final? Do you feel it's going to be fine or are you a bit worried about it?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I mean, just hope for the best. It's never easy to come back
when playing tough matches especially. This is now the sixth match in a row,
so... Seems like always a late day. Before I know it, I'm back onsite. It's
been a tough schedule, but I'm hoping to feel good enough tomorrow to be able
to play my best.

Q. Is playing a final now at this state of your career as exciting as it was
at the start? Are the emotions different? What does it mean for you at this
stage of your career?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I always want to be in finals. Doesn't matter what
stage I'm in. Even if it was the last tournament of my career, I would still
want to be in that final.
I don't think that ever changes. It just never gets old and it's never
something that is a given. You have to fight for it. So I appreciate it.

Q. During the fight, when it's so late and tough, you still find it
thrilling? Are you still enjoying the fight when it's late, you're tired,
battling on every point?
VENUS WILLIAMS: The matches that are most satisfying are the ones that you
fight hard for. Those are the ones you tell your grandkids the story of. You
know, I used to be cool.
Of course, I would prefer that I take the lead and finish the first set and
play well in the second. But it's also satisfying to win that sort of match,
as well.

Q. Was the preparation for Wuhan and this Asian swing any different than your
preparation for other tournaments at all? Did you arrive here feeling better
physically or better prepared, anything like that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, honestly after the Open, I was just so excited, I
couldn't wait to play another match. I just did my best to stay on the court
and kind of try to keep my rhythm, try to keep my form that I had at the
Open, just get ready to play.
I was really excited to come to Asia.

Q. In this match you just mentioned that you have more opportunities to win,
but your opponent depended on her tactics, for example the backhand slice. So
for her techniques, what is your comment?
VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, I think she has a game that's really different. I
think just in the last, let's say, few months, she's figured out how to make
that game work for her. She's having a moment. Everybody has moments in their
career where they're on. This is her moment to play amazing.
So I think that worked for her today. It's like she has the luck. When you
feel it in your game, then everything's working for you. I think that was
part of it, as well.
You know, definitely most points I was in control and it was kind of a matter
of if I made the shot or missed the shot, was kind of dictating. Of course I
felt good that, hey, I'm in these points, I can win these points if I figure
out how to put it in the court.
It's not always easy to find a balance of aggressive and put it in. I don't
think it was necessarily my best day. It's still hard to be aggressive when
it's not your best day.

Q. Some words on your next opponent, Muguruza or Kerber?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I have no idea what the score is.

Q. Second set tiebreak.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm extremely happy that I was able to figure out how to win
that match. Whoever I play clearly deserves to be there. Just wanting to play
well enough to get one more win.

Q. Just now during the game when it was 2-5, you were in the lead, it seemed
your left leg had some injury. Will that influence your following match?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I hope not. I just stayed focused on the match and not
focused on my injury. I'm not the kind of player that focuses on what's
wrong. I try to focus on what I can accomplish on the court.
So that's what I'll try to do tomorrow and do my best to come out on the
court tomorrow with no pain.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports