US OPEN

August 31, 2000

Serena Williams

MODERATOR: Questions, please, for Serena.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, that was pretty important. I needed to win that game to keep the momentum, to keep myself holding serve. Usually I never lose serve. Usually I really never lose serve. Already in this tournament I've lost twice. That's more than I've lost in the past two tournaments combined. It was important for me to win that game.

SERENA WILLIAMS: It will come around. This is only the second round. I'm going to serve better in the next round because I know I'm going to serve better, I feel that I'm going to serve better.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I'm not -- I don't know. I'm not going to comment on that.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, Venus has a nice, big serve, really nice, really big. She hits it bigger than what I'm able to hit mine, for sure. She's taller, so.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Venus'? Yes, because she definitely has the hardest serve on the tour. Definitely, for sure. My serve, the highest I ever got was 121. That's pretty remarkable for my size. I can get there again. I'm just not really hitting them that hard lately.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, she served well in her last match. Whatever she did there, she should do it again.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Is this a one-on-one?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, well, you know, they're not making this challenge against other people. I don't know why. I have no idea why. Why doesn't he want to play Martina or Lindsay? Why us?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Who knows. Who knows. I'm not here to talk about it. I think he wants to get a rivalry going. I think maybe he wants to play us. Just by chance, maybe he wants to play us. I'm here to concentrate right now on my singles and doubles, and that's what's most important.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think in the beginning maybe he didn't, but now he's really grown to see it and to respect it, to have a lot of insight in it.

SERENA WILLIAMS: She was actually my mentor -- we have mentors. She was my mentor. Obviously she was a very good player. Some of the things she say is just something we can definitely take to heart and learn.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't really want to talk about that right now. I don't want to talk tonight, guys (laughter).

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, actually I have not heard that.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't believe in magic, you know. If so, then I would be dominating really, singles, doubles, everything.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I haven't heard him make any predictions. I don't read the papers that much. I just keep it on the down. My dad doesn't bring that with us. He makes sure we have a good practice and we practice really hard.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Actually, there's a nice website out there, Williamssisters.com. We don't own it, but someone put it up. It's really nice. Also UBO is starting a new website for the Williams sisters. It's for our newsletter. It's listed on UBO.com. That's Urban Box Office. Where else do I go? I usually just check my mail.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm in the gym every day. I'm about to go to the gym right now, as a matter of fact (laughter). That's a joke. No, when I was born, I was 'little baby muscles.' That's just the way I came. I do go to the gym. Actually I go to the gym a little more than Venus. When I go home, I might go a little more. I've always been this way, but just to keep myself toned, I'll go to the gym. I don't want to get any bigger because it will be very unattractive. Right now it's perfect.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, not that I'm aware of. I'm fine right now. I'm doing good.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No. I don't feel any added pressure. I have hopefully five more matches to play. I would love to play five more matches, in singles, that is.

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I have not been around much. I'm only here to play my match. Actually, the first time Venus played her night match, I was not here. Whether they treat me different or not, I really don't know. I don't take notice to it because I have not been around.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, we'll practice together early in the morning. Like today, I practiced with Venus. But we also have a hitting partner here. Like tomorrow I want to practice more, Venus might want to just practice for 30 minutes in the morning, a little warm-up before her match, but I want to get a full practice. I might come out a little earlier, hit with her for her warm-up, then we'll both leave. So that's how it works out.

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