AUSTRALIAN OPEN


January 29, 2010


Serena Williams
Venus Williams

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA


WILLIAMS-WILLIAMS/Huber-Black
6-4, 6-3


THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Successful defense of your fourth Australian title. Venus, you're the only
one that didn't lose a serve. You must've enjoyed it more than anyone.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I guess I was really focus and my serve was really
working today. Seemed like I only hit a few second serves.
I mean, they played really, really well. They played really like a team and
were really coming into the net and just doing everything right.
So Serena and I just had to work together.

Q. Did it take some time it settle down? That first set had a few service
breaks.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I mean, really they were just playing so well. Fortunately we
broke right back and that really helped to keep it close and hopefully keep
pressure on.
But, I mean, they played so well today. I have to give them credit. They
really played like a No. 1 team.

Q. Venus, talk us through the last point or so, because it seemed that it was
done and dusted and you were ready to go again.
VENUS WILLIAMS: I actually didn't know the score. I thought that it was 5-2.
I really don't know how I lost track. So I was confused, but I guess that's
just focus.

Q. What was going through your mind? Serena was happy...
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, yeah, I thought, She's really happy about this break.
(Laughter.) I thought, Wow, I've never seen her this happy. But I'll go with
it.

Q. Serena, were you stunned by the sort of lack of response you were getting
back?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I thought, Okay, this is exciting. You know, we
defended our title and she was like, What's going on? I'm like, The match is
over. We're done now. It was funny.

Q. So you had no time to get nervous? What was your feeling?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. That's what I said. I was like, Serena, I guess it's
easier to hold at 3-2 instead of 4-3. I thought it was breakpoint. I didn't
know it was match -- I mean, I need to play all my matches like this without
knowing the score. I think it would help.

Q. Venus, Serena's got a big match tomorrow, and you like playing doubles
together a lot. When you get this far into a tournament and she's got a
singles final, do you wonder if you're helping her out by playing another
match?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think when we sign up for the singles and the doubles, we
realize that we both have the ability to play deep into the tournament. We
prepare for that physically and mentally.
If for some reason she couldn't play, I would hope she had be honest with me
and let me know. From the looks of it, she played really well today, so I
think she was ready.

Q. Serena, you mentioned before that doubles helps your singles game. Do you
think more leading players should play doubles? You're one the few that does
these days.
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I think it works for only for me. I don't know if it
works for anyone else. It clearly works for me and Venus.
Most of all, we do it because we enjoy it and we just want to spend more time
together. That's why we like it.

Q. Serena, you're playing more and more doubles. Do you have your sights set
on a family doubles slam or any of the great doubles records?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, we haven't thought that far through. We were talking
today about how we wished we had have played more when we were, you know,
younger. (Smiling.)
We still feel like we have so much we can win and just stay focused. We just
love being out there and we love the competition. More than anything, we
really have fun. We'll smile and we enjoy it.

Q. Venus, before you go, how do you see Serena's match tomorrow?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Obviously both players played well to get in the finals. I
think Serena has played a very well, especially when it counted. She has so
much great experience at this tournament, you know, I think she'll take those
experiences with her on the court.
Of course I'll be in her box rooting for her.

Q. Venus, how nervous do you get when you're in the box? Serena seems to get
more nervous than you do when she's watching you.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I mean, I don't get as nervous anymore, I guess, as I
used to in the past.
But, you know, I do feel like I play the point in the box. I move back and
forth. So I can't help it. It's kind of like, you know, I can't help that.
But, you know...

Q. Do you ever feel like yelling out tips or saying, Move your feet or, Go
down the line?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I mean, I always yell out encouragement. But more than
anything, I think she knows what to do on the court and how to correct the
mistakes.
That's all about being a pro is being able to correct your mistakes. Really
not too much need for it.

End of FastScripts