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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS


July 6, 2019


Andy Murray

Serena Williams


Wimbledon, London, England

MURRAY-WILLIAMS/Mies-Guarachi

6-4, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. In essence, was that just fun out there?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think it was fun. I had fun out there. Some moments I thought were really fun.

But we're obviously here to do well, but have fun at the same time.

Q. Andy?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I think like towards the end of the match, like, when you're kind of in control on the scoreboard, it's easier to sort of relax and enjoy it, whereas the first set, we were obviously taking it seriously to win. Had a bunch of chances, didn't get them. Thankfully got the 5-4 game.

Yeah, for me it was a great experience being back on Centre Court with Serena after the last year or so being tough. It was nice. I enjoyed it.

Q. Could you share with us some of your hand signals? Did you work it out in advance?
ANDY MURRAY: We talked about it, yeah. We didn't use it.

SERENA WILLIAMS: We didn't use them today. We got to start using them. It's our first time. We'll bring them out in the next match.

Q. You obviously have watched each other play. Have you learned something about the other from sharing a court, a perspective you haven't gotten before?
SERENA WILLIAMS: For me, it's definitely awesome to share a court with Andy, especially this particular stage. Like I said, whenever you're a Grand Slam winner, you always learn something.

But, yeah, still young in our relationship on the court (smiling). We still have a lot to learn.

Q. Andy, pick up anything from Serena?
ANDY MURRAY: I think, I mean, the most impressive thing for me is the serve. Just getting free points a lot on the serve, which isn't always the case. In mixed it makes my life at the net a lot easier.

But also, yeah, the thing that's impressive as well, is after the amount of success that someone like Serena has had for such a long period, to still be out there, whatever, 8:00 at night, having already won a singles, and just wanting to win and being competitive. That's impressive.

I don't think people always appreciate how difficult that is to do I think because of what, like, Serena and Roger have done for such a long period. It's kind of taken for granted a little bit. But it's impressive.

Q. Serena, can you walk us through the point where you tried to get out of his way. How did that play out for you?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I don't remember. I just remember I slipped, then I was going to get back up. I saw a ball coming towards me, so I just kind of went back down. Then I couldn't get back up after that.

ANDY MURRAY: Did you see the video?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. It was hilarious.

ANDY MURRAY: I just saw it before we came in.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I decided to just stay down and let Andy do all the running.

Q. Any points you thought that were a little bit weak as a team that need sharpening?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Just doubles in general. We have a lot we want to get better on as a team. I think we did great for the first day. I think overall we just want to keep it up. I thought we served well.

Just, you know, those key points, kind of getting in the groove. We both haven't played a tremendous amount. I think we both are kind of really taking this, Okay, this is great for both of us to get those points, those points we really need to convert on.

ANDY MURRAY: I think in the first set, we were 1-10 on breakpoints. Creating lots of chances, but maybe weren't as clinical as maybe we'd like to be. Again, that comes with matches a little bit. Like Serena said, neither of us have played much recently, but that will come.

Q. Andy, haven't spoken to you since the men's doubles earlier. Where do you feel that was lost? How much of a blow is that, given what you've been through in the last 18 months? I guess you've suffered worse things.
ANDY MURRAY: It's not a blow really in the grand scheme of things. I know you guys were talking about winning the doubles, winning mixed doubles, playing 12 matches in 11 days, things like that.

I was aware that that wasn't going to be the case most likely. We played against a really good team today that are ranked 5 or 6 in the world. Mektic's won a few Masters Series in the last year.

The first two sets I felt like we were the better team. I think if we got the second, I think we would have run away with it. We lost a tough game at the end of the second. Those guys played really well the last couple of sets.

Yeah, I felt like first couple sets returned well but couldn't break. Then the returning kind of dropped off a little bit. They were able to put pressure on us, so...

It was a shame because I felt like first couple sets we played well. If we maybe got through that one, could have made a bit of a run. Yeah, not to be.

Q. Serena, how do you get on with Andy's accent? Has he told you much about Scotland, the land of plenty of sunshine where tennis players grow on trees?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I get on with it great. I haven't showcased by horrible English accent yet. I'm keeping that in the pocket.

Q. Your reaction from the hype surrounding this mixed doubles match? In the past four or five days, a lot of people have been excited about this potential matchup today. Your reaction to that hype? Serena, you said after your singles it was making you a bit nervous from the excitement around. How did you feel when you went out on the court?
SERENA WILLIAMS: At some point I started feeling a lot of pressure. Oh, my God, I have to do well because this match is so hyped that I want to see it. I didn't even want to be in it, I kind of just wanted to watch it. Maybe I'll try to get a video of it or watch it somewhere.

Overall I think I was able to handle my nerves pretty good, do better than I thought I was going to do.

Q. Andy, you were talking about Serena and Roger. Obviously they're celebrated, yet you said they're sort of taken for granted. Talk about how you feel they are taken for granted.
ANDY MURRAY: I don't mean that Roger and Serena themselves are taken for granted. I'm just saying it's more like the longevity, like the competitiveness to keep going at that level. I think that's what people maybe sometimes don't always talk about.

Maybe sometimes, like, it looks like it comes easy to them, and it isn't. I know that. It's hard work to stay at the top of a sport for a long time physically, mentally. Yeah, for me that's what's really impressive as a professional athlete, just to see what they've done.

It's that. I don't mean them. I think tennis is grateful for all that they've done, all the fans they've brought to the sport. But I don't think people always talk about that side of things. It's always kind of more about their tennis, their game and stuff, but not the other things that kind of go into it.

Q. Serena, I know you said you wanted to get matches in, competition. Are you at all concerned about getting worn down, if you have a lot of success, with your singles results?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I'll be fine. I play doubles a lot, especially in Grand Slams. I'm definitely used to all the matches.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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