NASDAQ-100 OPEN

March 29, 2005

Venus Williams

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Venus, please.

Q. Terrific match.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Thank you.

Q. Where would you place that one in terms of quality?

VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, I kept my errors down. I think the first set for me
was fantastic. The second set I feel like I definitely lost some
opportunities, but that was okay with me because I wanted to -- I just felt
it was good to have those tests at the same time, even though I would have
liked to have held serve when I got the first break in the second and all
those kinds of things, when I had all those points to win games. But, you
know, of course credit to Serena. It's not like she gave me that many points.
Especially when she got down, big first serve, great approach shot. I
definitely had my hands full.

Q. In terms of quality, where would you put that match with your sister, in
terms of quality?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. I mean, we've played some huge matches. I mean,
we played two-and-a-half hour matches in Grand Slam finals. This one
definitely is a highlight, sure.

Q. When you went up 5-0 in the first set, your sister did a little damage to
her racquet. How did you react?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, her racquet is actually fragile. It's powerful but
fragile. Mine is not fragile, so I can tap mine a bit harder. But hers goes
no matter what. She is definitely a little bit more fiery than I am. I kind
of keep an even keel. It's just the way I am.

Q. When was the last time you felt you played that consistently against
anyone, particularly against anyone of that caliber?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I played some good matches in Antwerp, but I'm definitely
feeling a lot more comfortable, better rhythm now. I'm just really dedicated
to doing the right thing on the court. When I make a mistake, I'm just trying
to correct them. If I don't move forward, then the next one I make sure I
move forward whether I win or lose the point. Just little things like that.

Q. You said you had these tests and it was good to have those tests. How
satisfying is it, you had everything that Serena could throw at you in the
second set, and still you won?

VENUS WILLIAMS: She definitely picked up her serve, she picked up her speed.
She had some great dropshots. Like I said, I definitely needed that. I
definitely need to get to the point, too, as soon as I break, I hold like
normal and just close it out. That's the way Serena and I both play under
normal circumstances.

Q. Has it been a while since you've actually felt that comfortable at the big
moments in a match like this?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I wasn't really nervous. I just am trying to play the
ball. Yeah, definitely felt nice. Obviously, I had a pretty big match, I
guess, in Australia - I guess for Australians. For the rest of the world,
probably not. I didn't play too well in that match, and I was extremely
disappointed. Not in the fact that I lost, but in the fact how I played. But
at that time I tried my best with what I had, and I feel like I got a little
more right now.

Q. Why is that?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I just, you know, am training harder. Not that I wasn't
training hard, but just keep going at it, getting better, just like every
other player.

Q. The backhand was really impressive, wasn't it?

VENUS WILLIAMS: You think?

Q. No?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. Just I went for it on both sides, I guess.

Q. Your thoughts on playing Maria Sharapova? She's been steamrolling all her
opponents the past few days.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think it will be a good match, I guess. Not too many
thoughts. When I get out there, I tell you what, I'm gonna do me. That's all
I'm gonna do. Just keep it real.

Q. How confident are you of going right back to the top?

VENUS WILLIAMS: To be honest, for me, it's a given because I feel like I have
the talent and the experience. And obviously maybe it hasn't been exactly as
I would have planned it, but these things happen. So for me, I just feel like
(inaudible) is a matter of time.

Q. How close do you feel you were playing tonight to when you were playing at
your very, very best?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I never felt like I played my best. I think there's one
tournament where I felt like I played my very best, and even when I hit it
wrong it went in. One tournament in my whole career.

Q. Which was?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I played Hamburg in - I don't know, 2001 or 2002, something
like that. I don't remember now. But one tournament in my whole career, so...
You have to be willing to die on the court whether you're playing good or
bad, basically. It's not about whether you're playing your best, it's about
you're going to do the right thing at the right time. So that's the player
who usually wins, whoever does the right thing.

Q. You only played Serena for so long. Obviously, to have a sequence where
you lost some, did it help you tonight having that gap between the matches?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know, it's been so long. So much has happened between
this match and the last match. I just feel like in the last matches, Serena
always played better. There were times, I guess, when I probably had chances
and I couldn't do it or whatever that may have been. But she won them, and I
was happy at least there was a Williams on it. That's what would matter to
me, and that there was two Williamses in the final. I'm quite selfish about
those kind of things. Obviously, I would have loved to have won those
matches. For me, it's like the past now.

Q. Was there any urgency to get it done in the second set and not let it go
to a third?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Obviously, that was my goal, is straight sets. But if there
was a third set, I would have been just as focused and ready. But my focus
was definitely on that second set, on closing it out there.

Q. Are you aware of how much the crowd was into it?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I felt like they were definitely into it. That was
nice. The yells, that was cool.