U.S. OPEN


September 10, 2010


Venus Williams

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK


K. CLIJSTERS/V. Williams
4-6, 7-6, 6-4


THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What was the difference in your game today, shot making, serve?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Um, I mean, it's so soon after the match. You know, I think I
played a lot of big points, but I think, you know, obviously in the tiebreak
I wasn't able to play as well as I wanted. I had too many errors, and she
played some good tennis.

Q. Can you describe the feeling of chasing down that lob she hit on
breakpoint in that second to the last game? How good a lob was it?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I mean, I felt like I was trying to be aggressive in that
last game, and I came in you know, three out of five points. Unfortunately it
didn't work for me.
You know, she was playing against the wind, so it just blows the ball back
in. There's not, you know, so much I could do on those points. It was kind of
a little bit of bad luck for me.
You know, she just played to win.

Q. Do you think that lob was going to land so far out and you couldn't get
it, and then realized you might have had a shot at chasing it down?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know what I was thinking. I tried to make the play,
but just didn't make it.

Q. You seemed to hesitate for a second there at the net.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't remember. I'm sorry.

Q. We're talking about the same point.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I hit a volley, but I don't remember hesitating. So,
yeah.

Q. But you do remember sort of lunging up, trying to grab it out of the air
and grabbing it after it already bounced?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, like I said, I tried to make the play, but I wasn't
able to.

Q. You didn't play all summer. Were you running out of gas there after such a
long layoff?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. I mean, obviously I didn't have as much time to train as
many of the others. I started out really slow, just an hour a day. You know,
I had, you know, a good ten days of practice before this event.
Um, I just wish I could have played the bigger points a little better.

Q. Were those two double faults in the tiebreak because of the wind or nerves
or a little combination?
VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, obviously the tiebreak is a little more pressure,
and it's just -- it was just tough to start serving with the wind behind you
in the tiebreak.
It was a lot easier to serve into the wind, I thought. On that side I was
waiting a lot longer for the wind to stop blowing so you could get a good
toss.
Regardless, I've got to get it in and start the point.

Q. How much pressure did you feel coming into this match today? Did it raise
as the match went on?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Ah, I think -- I don't know. I mean, I have a lot of
expectations for myself going into these kind of matches.
Um, yeah, it's just a lot of different feelings you go through in the match,
especially when it's a long one.

Q. What's next for you?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I've got a couple more tournaments this year. I'm playing in
Beijing, and I guess the Championships. I don't even know my standing. I
hardly ever look at the rankings, so I'm not sure what's happening.

Q. Every loss is disappointing, but knowing your age and all the years you've
played, is this perhaps more disappointing than some of them, or do you feel
like I'll be back next year?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I definitely feel like I'll be back next year. This is what I
do, and I feel like I played great tennis even with minimal preparation.
Yeah, obviously I would have liked to win this match and be playing tomorrow.
But, I mean, these days you have to be -- you know, I may have lost the
match, but that's just this match. There will be others.

Q. So it sounds like you're somewhat pleased with your run here at the Open.
What are your takeaway thoughts from the tournament?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know yet. (Smiling.) I'm not sure what my thoughts
are. I mean, I tried really, really hard here. I tried my best to play into a
rhythm and to continue to be positive.
You know, it wasn't easy here to play my normal game because the wind is so
bizarre. But, you know, it was what it was. I just get ready for the next one.

Q. Your schedule before, you didn't say anything about Fed Cup. Since you're
playing Italy maybe, are you going to go or maybe not sure 100%?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I committed already. I just forgot to mention it. So I'm
in. My name's on the roster.

Q. Will you be there, because it was also last year?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Last year I didn't commit. I couldn't go. This year is
different. I've already said I'd be there.

Q. Do you feel like you proved something, that at 30 you're still a contender
for titles and people shouldn't forget you're still up there at the top?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, have I proved anything? I'm not sure. I mean, I've done
so many things in my career that I'm proud of, and I feel like I've built
character for me on and off the court.
I feel like my career hasn't been traditional in any way. I feel like as long
as I'm striking the ball well, I'm gonna keep playing. At this point I'm
striking the ball well, so there is no end in sight at the moment.

Q. Could you tell she gained some confidence at the end of the tiebreak? Did
you feel her settling more into the court after that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I don't feel like she settled in a lot. I had chances for
2-love, and I don't think she felt that comfortable even at 4-all, you know.
It was tough -- in the third set, it was a good game. She just made some good
plays. Normally if I'm coming in that much, I'm probably gonna win that game.
So, um, it's not easy to feel comfortable like that in the wind, but she kept
the ball in.

Q. Was there any moment where you felt particularly comfortable, especially
with the way you served through the first set?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Um, I don't know. I was just trying to play, so I always feel
pretty comfortable. Yeah.

Q. Being that you both had to account to the wind, what did she do that was
different, so different than what you did?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Um, I guess at the end she may have made a few less errors.
Last two games were just a little -- you know, just went her way.

Q. Obviously they apply to both players, the conditions, but the heat, the
cool, the wind, is this the worst, most bizarre conditions at a Grand Slam?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, usually the wind isn't this relentless. The heat
doesn't bother me too much. Every day the wind is different, so it doesn't
just stay the same. Each day is different.
I like these kind of challenges, and I wanted to come through in the
challenge today, you know. Yeah.

Q. What's your overall frustration with getting as far as you did and not
being able to close it out?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Obviously extremely disappointing not to be able to win this
match today. You know, I feel like the last few times I've played her haven't
been -- I haven't been at my top, I haven't been very healthy.
So, you know, knowing that I can still obviously almost win, you know, I'm
just looking forward to the last time where I can be a lot closer to 100% and
play even better.

Q. Could you talk a little bit more about the Fed Cup, playing for your
country, playing for Mary Joe against the Italians and Francesca, et cetera?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I enjoy playing Fed Cup. A lot of times it's very
difficult the week after the Australian to go to Russia or...
It just really doesn't make much sense for my schedule. Especially where I'm
in my career right now, I have to do things that are proactive for longevity
and not for, you know...
So I'm looking forward to this. What's nice is it's at home, California, I
think on a court that we all hopefully will like. I'm looking forward to it.

Q. One thing it's difficult to understand is why you have lost sometimes to
Pennetta and never to Schiavone when everyone thinks that Schiavone is
stronger.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I have had some bad days against Pennetta, basically. So I
guess I always have a good day against Schiavone. I'm gonna try to have a
good day against Pennetta in the Fed Cup.

Q. Did you run out of dresses?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I had two more, but I didn't really like them as much as
the others. I didn't think they looked as nice, so I liked the one I wore
today.

End of FastScripts