U.S. OPEN

August 28, 2008

Serena Williams

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

S. WILLIAMS/E. Vesnina
6-1, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Would you have liked a better workout?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I told you, no. I like quick matches. They're the best.
You know, no.

Q. Not at all? Not even to hit a few more balls?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I feel like I've been practicing a lot and playing so many
matches. I feel like she played pretty well actually and she hit some balls
and she hit some angles and that was good.

Q. So can you tell us how well you were playing yourself? Not too many long
rallies, only three or four?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. Not too many long rallies but serving pretty well. I
think that's one of the main keys to my game.

Q. What about Sugiyama?
SERENA WILLIAMS: She's pretty much relentless. I better be ready. That girl
is a tough cookie.

Q. Questions come up in the press room a lot with the women about the fact
that the No. 1 ranking has changed so many times this year. So this question
has been posed, you know, is there a parity or what's it like not to have any
one dominant player. Jankovic, Ivanovic and Safina all stopped and said, wait
a minute, there's Venus and Serena. So don't forget about them. So they cited
you guys as the dominant players on tour right now. How does that make you
feel that the top women in the world are still looking at you two as the ones
to beat?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, definitely makes me want to work harder and do better.
You know, I believe those statements. I always believe the match is on my
racquet. I think every time I lose is because of me, not because of the other
person.
So I think that's pretty much dominance. I feel honored that they would say
that. Like I said, makes me want to work harder and do better.

Q. Can you empathize with Ivanovic? You have come to the Slams before not
completely healthy.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I was in that position last year. Pretty much ruined
my thumb and I didn't play after Wimbledon at all. So you know it was a tough
position to be in and you just got to keep working for it.

Q. What's the thought though in deciding to play the Grand Slam anyway even
though you know your chances of winning aren't that great?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, it's like who wants to win a Grand Slam, especially
the US Open? The US Open, it's a great city, it's a great tournament, the
atmosphere is par to none. It's awesome. So I think that pretty much makes
the decision.