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COMPAQ GRAND SLAM CUP


October 1, 1999


Serena Williams


MUNICH, GERMANY

WTA: Questions for Serena.

Q. We're bound to ask the inevitable question about playing your sister. It's a dream come true?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Is that who I play?

Q. Yes.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I didn't know that.

Q. You've been keeping quiet today, resting low?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I wasn't here at the match. She won?

Q. She played extremely well.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I know she won the first set. I thought she lost the second.

Q. She did. 6-4 in the third.

SERENA WILLIAMS: 6-4 in the third? I thought it was like 8-6 in the third.

Q. So you do know?

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I just heard.

Q. Is that something that makes the week for you?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I mean, sure. We both played two rounds each. There's nothing better than being in a final after playing two rounds, pretty awesome. Both going to take the maximum amount of prize money home. That's what we want to do. Is it $800,000 and $400,000, $1.1 million, or $1.2 million. Not bad.

Q. How do you feel you played today?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I saw Venus' match. She played much better than what I played. Unless I pick it up, I don't think I'll be able to win. I definitely will have to play better than I did today and in my other matches. I'm trying to beat my record of 16 matches. I really need to win the next match to beat it. We'll just have to wait and see.

Q. How has it been for you since The Open? Have you had time for it to sink in, what you achieved there?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, definitely. It sunk in a little while ago. I can always say I'm the US Open Champ, the last one of the millennium. That's pretty cool. Made history here and there. I won the doubles, won the mixed before. It's definitely great to win your first Slam. That's very exciting. I look forward to winning plenty more. Next year I'm going to shoot for Wimbledon and the French Open.

Q. Were you asked how it feels to be playing against Venus in the finals?

SERENA WILLIAMS: It's great. I'm looking forward to it. Should be a good match-up. I don't have anything to lose. We're both going to do our best out there and be the happiest.

Q. Are you going to try to beat her this time, because you haven't done so yet in those three matches?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Naturally I'm going to try to win. I don't go out usually to try to lose a match. I'm just going to play and see how everything goes. That's the plan. Venus is playing very, very well. Make sure I pick up my game a little also.

Q. Venus played a big part in the celebrations you had after Flushing Meadows. Can you tell us what she actually did immediately afterwards, what she said to you, how in the week or so afterwards, what she talked to you about?

SERENA WILLIAMS: She just calls me US Open Champ.

Q. She doesn't call you Serena?

SERENA WILLIAMS: She just says, "That's no way to treat the US Open Champ," or, "Good morning, US Open Champ." It's really ridiculous.

Q. What do you call her in reply?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I call her "legs" because her legs are so long. Sometimes she calls me "muscles." Sometimes it's US Open Champ, sometimes "muscles."

Q. Has she ever said, "I'm really happy for you"?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Sure. Naturally you would. We're all pretty excited. It was a good moment for the Williams family as well as everyone, minorities, just everyone around the world that loves tennis as a sport.

Q. Have you had time to think yet about how much prize money you'll be taking home between you from this event?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, $1.2 million. We got the maximum amount available. No, $1.3 because I get an extra $100,000. So, yes. I'm guaranteed at lease 500 now.

Q. With which you plan to do what?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm really happy about that.

Q. What will you do with it?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I might treat myself to something. I've been thinking about it. I haven't bought anything since The Open. What did I get there, like $915,000. I'm getting up there. I mean, gee. Got to slow down. I'm going to hate to see my tax return.

Q. Is it going to be something a bit more exciting than furniture this time?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I don't know. Maybe. Maybe. I don't know. Maybe Venus and I can put our money together and buy us an expensive car.

Q. What do you think about Nick's job in coming up? Do you think it's a bit difficult for him? Will he stay out and say, "Do it on your own because I'm coaching you two"?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. You'll have to ask him that. I'm not sure what he'll do in that situation. That's definitely a tough situation either way you look at it. It's going to be interesting for sure.

Q. How do you handle this problem of both of you being in the finals? Do you talk less to each other since you are in the finals or will it be only on the court that there's a true rivalry between you?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't think there's going to be too much of a problem. We always get along. Our parents always taught us that family was something that's really important. It was what comes first in life. After tennis, you're still going to have Venus. I don't want to have a family feud just because we play each other a few times in tournaments. That wouldn't be so good. I think we're going to talk to each other. I plan on talking to her. I think she plans on talking to me. If she doesn't want to talk to me, I'll still talk to her and force her to talk.

Q. Would you rather play someone else than your sister in the final?

SERENA WILLIAMS: It really doesn't matter to me. I definitely would rather play Venus because, like I said, we get the maximum amount of everything. You don't get points here, but of everything else. It's just exciting. It really doesn't matter who I play. I'm glad we're both able to make it to the final.

Q. I can remember before Australia and I think before Lipton, as well, you said that you didn't really like playing each other in big matches.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I never said that?

Q. No?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Huh-uh.

Q. I stand corrected then.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I mean, I might have said that, but I don't remember saying that. That's what I should say. I don't remember saying that. I would prefer to play her in the big matches because that's what we dreamed of, always being in the finals of big tournaments like Wimbledon and the US Open. That's definitely better than meeting in the second round. We don't have to worry about that anymore. Do you know what I mean, kind of?

Q. I think it was more Australia when it was second round.

SERENA WILLIAMS: That was a pretty big match. It was a big tournament. I probably meant that I prefer to meet her in the finals, period, or in the finals of a larger tournament than just a quarterfinals and semifinals.

Q. Is being in the final of the Compaq Grand Slam Cup a big match to you both?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yes, for sure because the winner gets to take home $800,000.

Q. Thinking about Lindsay Davenport, beating her at the US Open and now again, do you think you know how to play her in the future and go into the matches?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Lindsay's a great player. She's been playing great matches. I don't think she played that well today. She made a lot of unforced errors. I don't know. I have a pretty good record against her. It's always tough to play a person that's bigger than you. She's bigger than me and taller than me. I just go with the flow, just do what I can do.

Q. Would it be better to play Miss Hingis?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't really care who I play. Just doesn't matter to me. I don't care at all.

Q. Would you think about putting a time limit on when you or Venus might become the world No. 1? Are you aiming for it this year between you?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't think I'll be able to make it this year. I'm only playing a couple more tournaments. Even if I won them, there's not enough points. I'm 2,000 points behind the No. 1 spot. That's two Grand Slams, plus the US Open, I'm losing a lot of points there. That's three Grand Slams away. I'm losing a lot of points. I definitely think that next year I can make it there, but not this year because I'm 2,000 points away from that spot. Venus, I believe is maybe 1,000 points away. I don't know. I don't think she's playing enough either. But next year we're both shooting for that spot. It's going to be great because Lindsay, Venus, myself, and Martina, all four of us are going to try to be No. 1. It's really exciting.

Q. What's the latest update on your education situation? There was talk of college.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm going to school next Monday. I have to be there. I just talked to the lady there. She told me I need to be there by nine o'clock. Unless I lose early, I might not make it.

Q. That's in Florida?

SERENA WILLIAMS: That's in Florida. Not this Monday, but next Monday. It actually starts Monday, but I can't go because I'm playing a tournament. I'm going the next week.

Q. How long is the course?

SERENA WILLIAMS: It goes until December, like Christmas break.

Q. What are you studying?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm studying fashion design, but also taking a psychology class. I was thinking about getting like a side major in that.

Q. What about the year 2000, will you carry on the education?

SERENA WILLIAMS: In the fall again, yes. I can't, because tennis is my career right now and I have to concentrate on that. That's most important.

Q. I just wondered, what single reaction to your US Open win has taken you most by surprise? Is there any one thing that happened to you since that has blown your mind, in a sense?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Can't think of anything.

Q. You were on the Today Show the next day.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Monday, I was on the Today Show. Actually, something that blew my mind was after the final, the very next day, on Sunday, I couldn't walk. I played Monica Seles, and I had actually fell in that match and twisted my ankle. Oddly enough, two matches later I had just a little side effect. But on the Sunday, I couldn't walk at all. It was so strange. We barely got through the doubles that day. That was just so crazy how if the final had been on Sunday, I don't know, I wouldn't have been able to make it at all because it was horrible. It was like I literally couldn't walk.

Q. You never seem the player that lacks confidence. Having done what you've done perhaps earlier than a lot of people thought you would do it, how much has that added to your confidence and belief when you walk out on the court?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Sometimes I feel I'm invincible.

Q. It looks it the way you're playing at the moment.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Then I come back to myself.

Q. How long does that moment last for?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Usually just in practice (laughter). Especially when I was practicing at home after The Open, I was like, "Wow, I'm really hitting them pretty good." No one can win forever. No one goes on a winning streak of a thousand matches. I think there's a man who ran track, called Moses.

Q. Edwin Moses.

SERENA WILLIAMS: He was pretty super. Pretty great if I could go on a streak like that.

Q. Do you ever pinch yourself and think, "Is this really happening this quick?"

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, because I actually thought I was going to win the French Open last year (laughter). I don't know why I thought that, but I thought for sure I'll win that tournament.

Q. Last year?

SERENA WILLIAMS: This year I thought I had a chance. Last year I thought I for sure was going to win. Actually I thought I would have won.

Q. If you hadn't lost?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, if I hadn't lost, I would have won.

End of FastScripts….

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