TENNIS WTA MONTREAL – 9th of August 2014. V. Williams d. S. Williams 6-7, 6-2, 6-3. An interview with Serena Williams
Q. Does it lessen the sting at all to lose to your sister?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No. For me it was just a regular match. Obviously she’s my sister, but I still want to go out there and try to play well and try to win.
Q. Huge number of aces, but some double faults. Was the strategy all in for the power on that first serve? Is that why those numbers reflect that?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No. I don’t know. I just hit so many double faults this whole week.
Yeah, I have to really cut back on that if I want to do some winning here. Not here, obviously. I lost. But in general.
Q. At times you seemed frustrated with your play, your back stroke. Was it troublesome today, your mechanics?
SERENA WILLIAMS: It was just off, whatever. I think Venus played a great match. It was what it was.
I just got to do better, that’s all.
Q. Did you actually hang out with your sister last night?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, no. I was tired. I kind of went home and went to bed.
Q. If you analyze the game, what do you think she was doing better than you today?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, she was really opening the court well. She’s such a good mover. She moves really well. I think her serve was way more consistent than mine. I had more aces, but she just was serving better.
Ultimately I think she returned better, as well. So, yeah.
Q. You’ve been saying all week how proud you are of your sister. She had tough matches all week long and showed mental strength. How do you feel about that?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, it’s great. You know, she’s been doing really well. Obviously I always want her to do the best that she can. I want to do the best that I can, too.
But, yeah, I’m really happy for her.
Q. You played a great game. After a match like that, do you look at the stats and work it out with your coach and look at the double faults, the number of aces, adjust your strategy for the next game?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, absolutely. I don’t think I played a great game today. Let’s just face it. I served well in the first set, but that was that.
Yeah, so I definitely need to go back and analyze it, figure out how to be more consistent, how to play more consistent on a more consistent level.
Q. You’ve had a singles Grand Slam win in nine of the last 12 years. How important is it for you to make this 10 in 13?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I’m not even thinking of it anymore. I haven’t even been able to get to the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam this year. At this point, really just looking forward to next year, to be honest.
Q. You were saying you were just looking forward to next year. There’s a little tournament in New York in a couple weeks. Are you overlooking the US Open or just figuring that you have to lower your standards to get through the rest of the year?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No. I think you’re looking at it way too deep. You’re making a mountain out of a molehill. What is this, like The Enquirer? Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.
I’m just saying I’ve had a really disappointing year, especially in the Grand Slams, for me. So I’m not going to put any pressure on myself. I almost feel like the pressure is lifted because I haven’t performed the way I’ve wanted to personally. Maybe for other people, but for me it’s not the way I’ve wanted to perform.
In a way, I don’t feel like, you know, a ton of pressure going into the Open. I almost feel like it’s lifted. I look forward to next year because I don’t have any points to defend at any of the slams.
