Day 8  - An interview with Venus Williams
Sunday, June 4, 2006


 Q. At the end of that war out there on the court, Franklin Johnson gave you
a very warm embrace. Wonder whether he put the arm on you to play Fed Cup.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, he didn't ask any questions. I didn't see him there the
whole time. He called out to me. I didn't even see him after the match. Still
focused maybe.

It's nice to see him here.

Q. What did he have to say to you?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Just congrats. Go all the way, V. I think I might be the last
American in the draw. I think I am. Lone flag waving gently in the wind.

Q. I think the Bryan brothers are in doubles.

VENUS WILLIAMS: True that. Us three. Navratilova in the mix. Got a few.

Q. Assess your level. Talk about sort of whatever kind of gear shift you need
to go into now that you're in the latter stages of a Slam, the second week?

VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, I started out really nicely at 2?Love, started
making some errors. During the second set, I was thinking, Wow, Venus, you're
going to have to pull in the reins and make some shots, start from there,
start to make some shots, kind of get a good rhythm, then start to play more
aggressively because I think I was just like going for too much too quick.

You know, obviously I like to play aggressively, it's very effective on the
clay. I can still run a lot of balls down, take some pace off if I have to.

You know, I do like to play fast if I have the opportunity. I definitely had
to take some steps back today to go forward.

Q. Talk about just being in this stage of a Slam in France.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Right, working my way here. It's a good place to be. I'm
excited. Definitely solid into the second week.

Like I said, you know, in my previous conferences, it's really about stepping
it up at the right time. That's what I was fortunate enough to do today in
that second set, really force the issue in the third, too.

That's what it's about. You know, no matter what level I may be playing at,
to know that I can take it to the next level. It's really secure ?? a secure
feeling.

Q. Your first week here, better and better match after match?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Better and better match after match. I really felt really
good going into this match. Then suddenly like I was making some errors. I
thought, well, V, you know, that's the past. Any errors I made is the past. I
have to move forward to the future. I was able to figure that out for sure,
for sure, I started playing better.

You know, I feel good. I feel good. That's really, really what counts when
you're in a tournament, it's a good feeling.

Q. What a difference from a year ago, losing in the third round,
Karatantcheva. What has made the difference? Were you not quite fit then or
in Australia at the beginning of the year?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I wasn't really fit in Australia. My arm was hurting. I
don't know why I played. I just thought maybe I'd try. So I got smart and I
got off tour until I was better, with much better results obviously.

Yeah, a year later, and I've just ?? sometimes that's sport, you have some
hard losses, especially with tennis. There's another tournament the next
week. That's always my outlook. You lose sometimes, but that doesn't make
your career or your year, that kind of thing. I always feel positive going
forward. I think that's the difference.

Q. Was there any one match, either Warsaw, Rome or here, where you felt,
Right, I've got it back now?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Just all throughout, throughout practice, pushing forward.
I've had some decent, you know, really solid results so far this whole clay
court season. Done well for myself.

As far as if there's one point where I went, Oh, ah, it's awesome. There's
probably been points where, Oh, I want to do better. I've really been forcing
myself to focus on the positive, because that's what it takes, especially
coming off a layoff a little bit, you most certainly need to focus on what
you're doing well, you know, work on the things that you need to do better,
but just keep that positive attitude. For me, it's ideal what I need to do.

Q. In your decorating business, it would be common to go and take a look at
the job, what could be done there. Seems like this week your matches have
been sort of similar. You have a look around in the first set. Is that a
similar approach at all?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, it's nice to get the first set under the belt, really
get your rhythm in the first set. That's what I've been doing these last four
matches. Lost the rhythm in this last set.

In my opinion, I prefer to get a shotgun start, take off real fast, fly to
the moon, you know, from the first point. That's definitely my style. I did
start off like that today. I will definitely, for sure, the next match, I
will do better. I have to.

Q. Any preference on playing Vaidisova or Mauresmo, depending on the outcome?

VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, the better player will win. It would be nice to
play Mauresmo. But, you know, I've done my job by getting to this
quarterfinal, getting to the next round. That's all I can do.

Q. Is your father coaching you over here or is the job done by somebody else?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, my dad's here.

Q. He's here with you?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes.

Q. Looking at how much you've played this year, people would say you haven't
played much at all. For top players, you haven't played as much the last few
years. Do you feel like you've played a lot of matches, you've had enough
matches under your belt you're sort of accustomed to the stopping and
starting?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I don't like the stopping and starting. It's not fun. I
like doing what I do. Losing bits and pieces out of my career is not ideal,
but it happens. I'm just looking forward to this year, just staying healthy,
really, really getting in the groove. It's nice to go out there, you know, be
that match tough, have been in the situations where you've been down or
you've been up or you close it out, those kinds of things. It's invaluable.
I'm looking forward to that going ?? right now, I am where I am. But going
into Wimbledon and the US Open Series, the US Open, leading right to The
Championships, that's my goal.

Q. Do you think not having played a lot has less of an effect on you than it
might on another player?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think so because, I don't know, I just think it's all in
the head. I try to, when I come out, I realize that if I put the practice in,
I should be able to play the match. That's how I feel.

Q. With Serena unable to go on court, who are you training with?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Various people. Random.

Q. Male or female partners?

VENUS WILLIAMS: It's various males.

Q. Has that helped your tennis?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Absolutely. Over the years, uhm, I've had different hitting
partners at different times of the year, different places in the world. They
become friends. Nice people, too, that you can call if you had issues no
matter what.

Basically just hitting partners that are now my friends, that's who I hit
with.

Q. What do you miss about not hitting with Serena?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Hitting with Serena is very much like hitting with myself.
Sometimes it can be good, sometimes it can be bad. Sometimes we're like, you
know, too powerful is the best way to describe it. So sometimes you just need
someone to be across the net who is not Serena or Venus, to just bring the
ball back.

But a lot of times it's ideal because, like, no one gets to hit against
Serena. I do. So it's an advantage.

Q. What is your availability for the Fed Cup semifinal?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Like I said, I haven't even thought that far. I actually had
a dream about it last night. Isn't that strange?

Q. Dreaming that you were playing?

VENUS WILLIAMS: To be honest, I really want to. I really do. But I just have
to ?? I have to be there physically. I can't really think much past this
tournament at this point. If you know what I mean. Like mentally I'm right
here and I just can't think past it. After this tournament, I have to see how
I am physically. That's why I've been spacing out my tournaments and been in
Europe all this time. Playing one tournament, be off, monitor myself
physically, then play another one, be off.

I got to see how it goes.

Q. Looks like you were pretty comfortable up there at the net, especially
during the second set. How were you feeling up there? How did you get back
into that mentally?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, my goal definitely is to move forward because I'm
hitting, you know, shots that put my opponent on the defensive. So if I come
in, it makes my job easier, makes me look like really a good player, too. So
there was, you know, some points like all throughout the first and second
where I was like hitting these shots to come in, but sometimes missing them
or hitting them too hard or rushing or doing just a little something wrong
and missing them.

I definitely had to step back. The third set, moving forward again. It's my
goal to be moving forward.

Q. We still don't know who you are going to play next round. Could you say a
word on each of them?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I've played Mauresmo many times, I don't know how many, but
throughout the years many good matches. She's obviously the favorite here.
You know me, I don't put too much pressure on myself. I just go out there and
play, have fun, try my best. I guess the pressure would be on her if she sees
it that way, unless she thinks like me (smiling).

Vaidisova, I've only played her once about a year ago. I'm sure she's
improved her game since. We have a very similar game. You know, when you
match us up together, I probably can inch her out on doing things a little
better. I have to rely on doing that.

Q. Does the crowd help or hurt Mauresmo?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know how she thinks. I don't know. I know either way,
I hardly hear the crowd, even when they're for me. I kind of block it all
out. I just see the ball. So it won't bother me if they're for me or against
me because I've played in some crowds where you can't even hear because
they're for the other player. Doesn't bother me.

Q. As you started to come back, play matches, how important was the win over
Hingis? Was that a real confidence boost, that your game is getting where it
needs to be, or just another win?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't base my confidence on who I beat, no matter who it
is. She's definitely playing her game at a high level. I think people enjoy
watching us play because we're such polar opposites. That makes it
interesting, especially on this surface.

You know, like when I play anyone else, it's all about if I'm going to make
50 errors or if I'm going to make 10. Unfortunately, in Rome I made about
30,000. Didn't go out well for me. But she played well. She deserved to win
that title. At the end of the day, it's a good story for her, a good story
for tennis.