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AEGON INTERNATIONAL

June 15, 2011

Serena Williams

EASTBOURNE, ENGLAND

V. ZVONAREVA/S. Williams
3-6, 7-6, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Do you think that five hours of grass court tennis is still plenty enough to go into Wimbledon with?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. I definitely think so. It was a good two matches for me. I couldn't be happier with the amount of tennis that I've played.
So it's good. You know, just keep going.

Q. You looked a little bit delicate as you sat down. Is that because of your three hours of running around on the grass?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. You know, I haven't played in almost a year, so I'm a little sore.
Grass always gets you a little sore. It's good I'm sore now, because hopefully next week I won't be as sore.

Q. It's the kind of soreness which happens -- it's not anything to do with any of your injuries?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. You know, every time I come back and play or I take some time -- usually in Australia I get sore, or usually on the grass court the grass is just different on your body, and it just like makes your body work harder because there is so much stopping and quick stops.
It's definitely, for me -- I don't know about for anyone else -- but for me it's a little different.

Q. Your foot is holding up well?
SERENA WILLIAMS: It is. I'm so happy about that, too, because that is so scary. But it is. It's holding up really well.
I'm just really, really excited about that. I'm like, Yes.

Q. Are you happy with the way your game is at the moment?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I'm never happy. (Smiling.)
I definitely think I can do better, but that's what's so comforting is the fact that I know I can do so much better and I can improve, and I'm so close to being, you know, being there. It's good.

Q. And you were serving for the match against the No. 3 in the world for the moment.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, and I actually -- one or two points, I could have won the match. I think that's just me not playing and not actually even holding a racquet for over eight months and then finally picking one up and being able to do that.
So it's not overly disappointing. It's just the fact that, Okay, Serena, make that short ball. I mean, I had so many of those that I just kept missing and just, you know, not enough experience with those shots.

Q. What are your plans for the rest of the week now? What are you going to do?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I'm just going to keep working out. I'm feeling pretty good about my fitness.
I feel like I was able to stay out there two hours yesterday and come right back and do a pretty tough three hours today.
So I definitely am going to keep working on that and maybe hit a little later tomorrow and have a sleep-in. And support Venus. I should have said that first. (Laughter.)

Q. Are you looking forward to the challenge of Wimbledon?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I am. I'm always looking forward to a challenge. I'm just -- I'm just excited that everything is working and that I'm walking. And I'm really excited that I'm, you know, going to be there.
Like I said, I'm not preparing just for Wimbledon. Like I'm just happy to be here and the weeks after that and weeks after that and, you know, for the rest of my career.

Q. Any thoughts of the seeding you've been given for Wimbledon?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. I heard I was No. 8. I was, you know -- listen, I don't ask for much. I would have been happy with 25, because I'm going to be in there fighting for every point and for everything. It doesn't matter where I'm seeded.
I'm just going to give 200% like everyone else in the draw is, as well.

Q. Are you saddened a little that Kim Clijsters can't play, and the litany of injuries that players are suffering these days never seems to show much sign of abating?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. No, I literally just found that out. So, you know, she's obviously been doing so well.
She always does well on the hard court tour, as well. So maybe she will probably want to focus on that.

Q. I know you said you'll be happy wherever you've been seeded, but are you a little surprised Venus hasn't been seeded higher?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know where she's seeded.

Q. 24.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Look, I don't know. I'm just -- I would have been happy with my little ranking of 25 or whatever I am. If I'd have been seeded that, that's fine. Higher, that's fine. Doesn't matter.
I'm just -- I'm just there to compete and so is she. I pray that I don't have to play her very soon, because that's a tough, tough person to have to play in probably like the third round.

Q. In terms of excitement levels going back to Wimbledon, where's the rating of excitement, the thought of playing there again, defending a title?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm excited; I really am. I'm excited to get in my new dress. I'm excited to be on the grass and be on the white and just be at Wimbledon. To me, there's nothing like being at Wimbledon.
I love it, and I'm excited to play better. I'm actually determined to play better there.

Q. Have you enjoyed the whole Eastbourne experience? Not one of the biggest towns of the tour visits.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. Every time I come here I enjoy it. I think it's a beautiful city on the water. It's so pretty.
I look out and I see the amazing water and rocks. I want to get in, but it seems really cold. We don't like cold water.

Q. When you first picked up your racquet, did you think it would take longer than two matches to get back playing top 10, top 5 tennis?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I honestly thought I would do better, to be honest. I didn't expect to go out -- I'm more or less going on physically how I feel, because I know my game is going to be up there.
I have been doing this for 15 years, so, you know, I should be able to do it now.

Q. How do you feel physically?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Physically I feel good. Like I said, I'm a little sore but that's expected.
I'm really -- that's why I wanted to play here, because I thought, okay, going back, you're gonna be sore. Once you get to this point, you get here and there's no way you can go higher.
So I'm at that peak and I know my body is gonna kind of adjust. I'm going to be good from here on out.

Q. All the whites now for preparation for Wimbledon? I presume dominantly white?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I kind of like purple for Wimbledon, because it's kind of like purple and green, kind of cool colors. I might play around with those colors.

Q. You'll be a bookmaker's favorite for Wimbledon. Would you bet on yourself?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Really? Listen, I always am a bookmaker's -- look, I don't bet. It's against the rules. And really I just don't bet in general. It's not my thing. I'll flip a coin, heads or tails. (Laughter.)

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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