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FEDCUP WORLD GROUP PLAY-OFFS: SWEDEN v USA


April 20, 2013


Mary Joe Fernandez

Serena Williams


DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA

S. WILLIAMS/J.  Larsson
6‑2, 6‑2


THE MODERATOR:  Questions, please.

Q.  Serena, talk about the rain delay.  How did you keep yourself fresh and ready to play?  Certainly seemed like you came out ready to go and on fire.
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I've been through many rain delays, so I know what to do.  I was back there with the team just trying to stay as fresh as I could.

Q.  Serena, on top of the delay, obviously a little bit more pressure with what happened with the early match.  Did that change your mindset at all heading into the delayed match here?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  No.  I don't feel pressure.  Not this time around.  Usually I do.  I feel like, Oh, my gosh, I have to win.  This time I don't feel it.
I feel like even though we didn't win our first match, we have a really good team and we're doing really well.  We're just going to keep going.

Q.  In the second set she seemed to play better.  Was she getting better or were you just making more errors?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I think she played a lot better.  I think I also made more errors in the second set than the first set.
She's a really good player.  She's a professional.  You can't get on this level without being solid.

Q.  Serena, you're fairly close to the top of your game and playing very well‑ and healthy ‑ how good does it feel to have three fourths of the Grand Slam season ahead of you playing as well as you are and feeling as healthy as you do?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  Feels good.  Really looking forward rest of the season.  I love playing Grand Slams; I love playing big tournaments; I love playing on clay.
So really excited to be able to slide hopefully Monday and start practicing.  Yeah, I really, really look forward to that.

Q.  You also clearly enjoyed being out there tonight.  How do you bring such intensity every time you're out there?
SERENA WILLIAMS:  I just try to fight and do the best I can.  I'm here for the team.  Even though I don't feel pressure, I'm here to give 100%.  If I don't feel 100%, I'm still going to try to give that.
That's what I'm here for.

Q.  Mary Joe, 1‑1 going into tomorrow.
CAPTAIN FERNANDEZ:  Yeah, I mean, it was big for Serena to get a quick start in the first set of her match.
I thought the first match could have gone either way.  Sloane had opportunities I thought to get ahead early and wasn't able to capitalize.
As Serena said on the court, the conditions were tough, and I think the rain delay sort of slowed her down because she had the momentum after she won the second set.
But we're in a good position.  Every match is a big match, and looking forward to tomorrow.

Q.  Obviously very tough for Sloane after this match this morning or this afternoon.  How do you plan to help her as she plays tomorrow?
CAPTAIN FERNANDEZ:  I think every time you step on the court is a chance to get better and to improve.  Fortunately, you know, we have a great, solid team with a lot of depth.
Sloane needs work on stuff and get better.  Hopefully she'll take this loss and learn from it and do better things in the next one.

Q.  Do you think more it's mentally you have to help her or tactically or both?
CAPTAIN FERNANDEZ:  Little bit of both, I guess.  When you have a few up and downs you have to mentally get a little bit stronger, and it helps when you're tactically sound and clear on what you need to do.
So I try to support and give as clear as advice as I can on what I see out there, and hope that that works.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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