US OPEN


August 30, 2001


Venus Williams

NEW YORK CITY


THE MODERATOR: First question for Venus, please.

Q. You're not feeling all that well?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I'm feeling okay, thank you.

Q. In the throat?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I'm okay. (Smiling).

Q. Did you feel like that was a step forward as far as the way you're playing?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think I played okay. You know, I feel I can do a lot
better. I really just wanted to keep my focus when I get leads and try not to
let my opponent back in the match at all. So that's what I'd like to work on
next round.

Q. You did lose your serve three times. How do you feel you served?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't think it was my serve that lost it. I think after I
hit the serve in, I made mistakes on my ground strokes. So I'm a little
disappointed. I hate losing serve and I didn't think it was especially
necessary, not tonight. So I have to try to hang on to it a little bit better.

Q. Were the conditions pretty tough out there?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm used to the wind now. It's always windy here. I've played
a lot of years in the wind here.

Q. Still undefeated at night. What's it like to play out there at night? What
do you like about it?

VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, I'm a marquee match, match of the day. They chose
me to play the night match. That's nice. And I guess what is it about the
night matches? I don't know. I guess I've always - I don't know. It was nice
having a nice record at night. I'd prefer not to have any more losses.

Q. Tracy Austin said on the telecast that if you play your best, you will win
your tournament. What do you think about that?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I definitely think if I play my best, I have a wonderful shot
at winning the tournament. But, you know, I don't always play my best. If I
can play near my best, that will be great, too. As long as I'm playing those
important points correctly, that's what counts. So I'm looking forward to
just improving in every round.

Q. You've won three of the last five Slams. Does that make you hungrier or
does it allow you to get a little bit comfortable? How do you feel coming in
here?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I definitely love winning. I hate going home a loser. I
hate having to start over. I'd love to take this title home. I've just
started, I only have three. I'd like to just kind of keep counting them until
you got to start counting my toes.

Q. I saw your father up in the nose bleed section taking photographs of you.
What do you do with all those photographs? Do you keep an album?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know yet. I don't know.

Q. Even the ones all the way up there? I'm sure you look like a little speck
down on the court. He was very intent on taking lots of pictures?

VENUS WILLIAMS: He's probably going to have a big panoramic photo put on the
wall. I don't know what he's going to do.

Q. Yesterday Lindsay Davenport said that, "The impact you and your sister and
also Anna Kournikova had on the Tour has been great; that you've drawn a lot
of attention to the Tour." The difference is Kournikova hasn't won anything.
What do you make of her impact on the Tour? Do you think it's fair she gets
all the attention not having won?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think she's a great competitor. On the occasions I've gone
out and played her, I've had to compete well and I've had to play well. She
has a lot of talents. And, you know, I can't say why she hasn't been
victorious in a tournament yet. I think she definitely has all the ability to
do anything. But, you know, it's tough. I've been injured and she's injured
now. So I guess we'll have to see when she comes back around.

Q. How about the hype surrounding her? What do you make of it? Do you think
it's had a good or bad impact on the Tour?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think it's had a good impact on the Tour. And about the
hype, I don't know. I don't think it's all hype. I think that she's a good
player. She's had good results. And she's a competitor.