Venus Williams Interview - Miami, April 2, Loss to Serena

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. So it's another chapter in a book.
What was the theme for you this time?

VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, it was a
well-fought match. I definitely would have liked to
get a few more points off my serve. You know, I
think my serve wasn't going as well as I wanted
today. But she brought a lot have balls back and
played tough.

Q. When did you guys last hit
together?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. I don't
keep track.

Q. Was it in the past couple days, or
has it been a week?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't keep track.

Q. Now it's going to be on clay. What
are your expectations about the clay season?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Always expect to do
well. Each tournament I go to I'm going for the
win.

Q. What about the French Open? It
was a bit disappointing for you last year.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I had some
issues last year. That was last year.

Q. It's completely different?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Totally.

Q. How did you feel you played
tonight?

VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, I think I
had some errors sneak in sometimes. That
doesn't help.
I did the best I could today. I'm just
looking to do better always.

Q. Did you feel like the level picked up
in the third set from both of you?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think so. But
in any third-set match the stakes are higher. You
know, at that point it's winner take all. So, yeah,
it's always good.

Q. Trouble with your serve today. You
gave her lots of breakpoint opportunities.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, my service
games didn't go exactly the way I wanted today.

Q. Are you still surprised by the way
Serena plays?

VENUS WILLIAMS: She's a great player,
so I expect her to play great.

Q. Do you feel like she's able to go
through like a dry spell, three, four games, and
she could just, when she knows she's in
trouble, she has that switch she can just turn
on?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, you know, she
plays well always. I mean, I like to think if there's
three or fours games where she doesn't play as
well, maybe it has something to do with me if I'm
playing her at that moment.

Q. What would you do differently
against her? Anything?

VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, it's still so
close to the match. I'll definitely have to think
about it. I'm sure we'll play again. I'll make those
adjustments.

Q. You two going to hang out tonight,
dinner, late snack?

VENUS WILLIAMS: It's almost midnight.
It's not hang-out time.

Q. Is there any sense that even though
you lost, you enabled her to retain her No. 1
ranking?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm really -- even
though she's my sister, I'm still here to win the
matches. You know, I can't give anyone anything.
So I'm disappointed that I lost tonight,
whether or not she kept the ranking or not.

Q. How would you gauge the final now
between Serena and Victoria? Obviously
you've played them both.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, Serena is --
obviously Victoria is talented. But, you know,
Serena -- yeah, Serena is Serena.

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