US OPEN

August 30, 1997

Venus Williams

Q. I was wondering why, Serena, you didn't shake the umpire's hand when it was done?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know.

SERENA WILLIAMS: A lot of people don't shake the umpire's hands when they lose. They might be thinking about something else. Actually, my mind was on something else.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Doing laundry. Besides losing, I suppose. That is all right too. Doing laundry.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Problem is that we really expected to win, but we hadn't practiced. So one and one subtracts -- didn't added up. I figured out too late, though, but it is okay. We both learned.

VENUS WILLIAMS: We thought we had it together, I guess.

SERENA WILLIAMS: We usually practice our singles game and hit groundstrokes, so it was more like we were playing singles instead of doubles.

SERENA WILLIAMS: When we play doubles, I really don't believe in staying back. A couple times when I stayed back, changing up, but I mean, all the time I play, I usually come to the net. And actually when I watch people stay back, it is like, "Why are they doing that."

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, wasn't tired.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, it wasn't too late. It was about 9, I guess, that is not late. Not to me. It had nothing to do with that.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I played on it at the Arthur Ashe tennis thing and Kids Day. It was really nice. A court is a court. The stadium is really nice and the whole area around it is really nice, so, yeah --

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Not generally because they usually done put them on the big courts. We really, at any tournament, can't go on the outside courts because there are so many people and they don't really show it on TV, so...

VENUS WILLIAMS: No. But we just don't want that much doubles.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I have seen.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think I have someone to play in the next round.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Not really. I really don't try to look ahead of the draw too much. If I play a seed or if I don't play a seed, I am still going to have to play -- I am still going to play a person who is going to want to win.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, we don't.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Couple weeks ago I don't think I was playing as well as I could, especially in the matches, because I have definitely improved over times since I wasn't playing well in matches. So, I had to improve these things and I got some help from my family, my coach, things have improved in matches.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't understand the question.

VENUS WILLIAMS: When I played Anke I really wasn't getting the first serves in. I wasn't returning well. I was hitting a lot of short balls, took advantage of that. I was hitting a lot of balls to her, short balls that were to her, you can't help, but just take advantage of it. And, also she was attacking my forehand, which was very weak at that time. Had a lot of spin on it. Like a claycourter or something, and just wasn't a good thing. So I had to adjust that and just get through it like I regularly would do. And, I think this time, when I played her, she expected me to have the weak forehand again which is not one of my characteristics regularly. And I didn't have that this time.

VENUS WILLIAMS: More just hitting through it.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I am looking forward to it pretty much.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think I am playing two tournaments in November and one in December -- two in December.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I didn't understand.

VENUS WILLIAMS: What happens when we practice at home? Do we hit against each over? What is the arrangement?

SERENA WILLIAMS: When we practice at home we don't usually hit with each other. My dad has hires hitters for us. We hit against different people or sometimes we will hit against each other like two-on-ones. But on the road, I don't think it is that much of a difference, no.

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