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U.S. OPEN

September 5, 2016

Venus Williams

New York, NY, USA

K. PLISKOVA/V. Williams

4-6, 6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Just your thoughts after that tough, tough match.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, we both competed really well. Of course I'd like to come out on top of that match. Just kept fighting till the end, but I don't know, she had a little more luck today.

I had a few too many errors in the tiebreaker.

Q. What were your emotions when you got down three match points and as you battled back to overcome those three match points?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, just to keep fighting and never to give up. That was definitely my mindset at that point. Just try to keep winning points.

Q. How did it feel to overcome that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: At that point that's exactly where I wanted to be, was in the tiebreaker and going for the match.

Q. In the tiebreaker, was it luck or you kind of let yourself down a little bit off the ground, that she outplayed you? What was the difference in the breaker, do you think?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think in the breaker I went for a little bit more but I didn't put the ball in enough. You know, I went for some aggressive shots; didn't necessarily put them in.

You know, obviously she played well.

Q. How high do you feel like the quality was of that match? It looked to us like you guys were hitting as hard as you could and there were over 70 winners between the two of you.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, definitely a high, high quality match. I totally agree.

Q. Your support from the crowd, living, breathing each of those fluctuations in the third set, how much does that boost you or how much does it mean to have the full support of the crowd?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It's just so, so amazing. Such an amazing feeling. I enjoyed every single moment of that.

Q. What was your mindset at triple match point and going through and saving all those three match points?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Just that she played a great game. I was going to try to stay in there, continue to try to get points, and, you know, I played a good game after that and I got some opportunities to get in there.

Q. You had some strong results this year. How would you assess the way you've played this season?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, definitely a ton of positives. I'm looking forward to continuing a lot of positives on the court.

Q. Just talk about the joy quotient versus the win quotient as --
VENUS WILLIAMS: The what? Joy?

Q. The joy, the feeling of joy versus the feeling of winning as far as keeping yourself going all these years. Has that really changed over the years for you as a player?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. I never thought about that. (Laughter.) There is a lot of joy in winning. I mean, that's all I can say.

Q. Are you surprised in any way that you're doing so incredibly well at this point in your life?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Where there's a will, there's a way. I definitely have the will, so I think I will keep finding the way.

Q. So you're not surprised, per se?
VENUS WILLIAMS: With effort something's got to happen. I put a lot of effort into this. It's not by luck at all.

So, you know, definitely feel like my wins are deserved. I feel like I'm going to get more as the future goes on.

Q. After a strong start to the first set, do you feel like you let her back into the match by giving up those breaks?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, it was just a lot of errors. I still have to cut back on my errors.

I think she started returning serve really well as the match progressed. She lifted her game. Definitely a lot of credit to her for hanging in there and staying positive.

Q. After the 5-1 lead, closing in on the net and serving well, did you feel like she made adjustments to kind of make that match level, or was it a matter of levels of each of you kind of going up and down? Was there a tactical change?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think she definitely made adjustments. That's what you have to do. That's why she's at the top.

Q. Some people say that Pliskova plays like Lindsay Davenport. From your perspective, how similar are their games?
VENUS WILLIAMS: For me, not that similar. Not really.

Q. You had a lot of success coming to the net, especially in the first set; didn't come in as much later. Was that an adjustment she had, she made, or did you feel like tactics were better for you as the match wore on?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I guess I did what I could when I could. That's the match. I do like to get in when I can.

Q. Pliskova is 24 now. Do you see her as future Grand Slam winner, in the future after your sister retires?
VENUS WILLIAMS: That's a wonderful compliment to Serena, but the sky's the limit for everyone. The future is in her own hands. It's what she makes of it. I can't say what something is going to do or isn't going to.

Q. Your 18th slam. Do you take in more surroundings, the fans, more than you did in the past? If so, how?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Obviously it's an amazing atmosphere out there, but it's definitely all business when you're on the court. There's a lot of tough situations. No matter what position you get in your opponent is still trying to figure out how to win the match. You don't have time to start enjoying the moment and looking around. You know, sports just doesn't work that way.

Q. Coming and going or practicing...
VENUS WILLIAMS: Clearly enjoy the game to be here. I love what I do.

Q. After a tough match like that, do you expect that you'll go out now and watch Serena's match in person? What do you think that will be like as she goes for that 308th major victory?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I mean, the match is on right now. Of course I like her chances. You know, I'm sure that her opponent wants to win, too. She's going to have to be able to still play well no matter who's across the net.

But of course, you know, I'm hoping that she'll get the win.

Q. Do you expect to go out and watch it?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I haven't even thought about that. I still have other stuff I've got to do. Hopefully maybe she will win quickly and then I won't even have to think about it. (Smiling.)

Q. If you can think back to the match point that you had, is there anything you think you could have done differently or wished you had done differently on that point?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Not really. I mean, she had a great serve. She hit another great shot and I still played a great defensive shot. I did the best I could on that. Whenever you have a match point on someone else's serve, it's a little bit of an asterisk. I really have no regrets on that.

I had a little bad luck trying to hold serve. It wasn't ideal.

Q. Just more generally, as a player in the latter stages of a match, if you do have a match point and are unable to convert it at that point being close to victory, is it easy to move on from that? Does it ever linger in your mind as the match progresses?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Not really in this case, because I was never in control of that point, even though I played a great point. It was really a little bit out of my hands. Had I reached match point on my serve, then of course I'd think about it a lot more.

But I really played the perfect point there, and she managed to stay alive.

Q. Many of your matches here have been heart breakers. (Indiscernible.)
VENUS WILLIAMS: I live in the present so I move on. I learn from this and I just keep going.

Q. You said sky's the limit for every player and that individuals have to set their own goals and what they can do. You have had a great career and are still having one. What goals do you have for yourself at this point?
VENUS WILLIAMS: To continue to play better tennis. At this point my goals are just to cut back on my errors. I feel like if I convert a few more points, a few less errors, then this kind of match is mine.

That's a balance that you make when you play the kind of game that I play. You have to figure out the balance. I was clearly the more aggressive player all the time, but I have to put the ball in the court.

Q. Have you made any specific dietary changes to ensure your longevity?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I'm always working on it. I'm always working on it. That's my life right now.

Q. Specifically, what are the things...
VENUS WILLIAMS: It's a long story. Next time. (Laughter.)

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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