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Tennis diva to appear at Ford Arena She never won a singles tournament as professional, but few tennis players achieved more popularity - and appeared in more fashion magazines - than Anna Kournikova. She'll be in Beaumont to participate in the Christus Pro/Celebrity Classic at Ford Arena Friday night. Also participating is Pete Sampras, whose 14 Grand Slam singles titles are an all-time record. Among other participants are tennis professionals Justin Gimelstob and Chanda Rubin and television journalist Stone Phillips, a Texas City native. Although without a singles title, Kournikova, 26, achieved much success in the doubles game. She won two Grand Slam events paired with Martina Hinges and 16 doubles tournaments overall. She answered questions about her playing career, fame and most memorable moments. Q: Your professional career ended in 2003. How often do you compete these days? A: I try to play as often as I can and in as many of these (events) that I come across, especially when it's for great causes and with fun people. I'll be playing with Pete Sampras. I'm really looking forward to it. It's a great opportunity for me to get back on the court and playing tennis in a more or less competitive environment. Q: You've had success as a doubles player. How do you feel your skills translate into the doubles game? What's the main difference - aside from the obvious of having another player on the same side of the net - between singles and doubles? A: Doubles were never first for me because I always played singles. But I guess that's why I did pretty well in doubles because I never put any pressure at all on myself. I just always played doubles just for fun. I always played with partners I got along with and had a great time with. It was never about winning, really, and I ended up winning much more there, so it was kind of strange. I played it for fun and to practice for singles. In some weird twist, it came out the opposite. Q: Did you feel pressured as a singles player? A: I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel pressure. I put a lot of pressure on myself. Dealing with pressure comes with experience. I was so young when I stopped playing, when I was 22 years old. I'm sure if I was playing right now on the tour I would think differently. Q: Through the course of your career you received a lot of attention on the court and off the court. How much of that was sought and how much of that did you want to deflect? A: When I was playing, I tried to deflect a lot of it. When you're in that position - and like I said, I was so young and inexperienced - you have all these people around you and you're just thrown in the middle of it all, and I did the best I could to stay focused. I played. Tennis was always my goal. Tennis was my No. 1 priority. Q: Golfers remember specific shots. Baseball players remember pitch sequences in at-bats. Are there any specific moments in your career that stand out for you? Like a serve or a volley? A: There are moments. There are quite a few. I don't think I could name one of them. There are always moments that stick with you, in the first round of some unknown tournament or in the semifinals of Wimbledon, there are definitely moments that stand out more than other ones. Q: Is there any moment you're most proud of? A: For me, it's when I beat the top players. It's when I beat Steffi Graf. When I beat Monica Seles, who was my idol growing up. When I beat Martina Hinges, who was unbeatable at the time, No. 1 in the world. When I beat Lindsay Davenport, when she was No. 1 in the world. When I beat Arantxa Sanchez. It was always about the players. It was about the players on the other side that I beat, when I felt like I accomplished something by beating those No. 1s in their prime, too. That was a huge satisfaction for me. Q: Do you miss the competition? A: I do, of course. You can never replace that feeling you have on the court and stuff. It's very special in a way. There's nothing like it. Q: Many athletes in America go into acting after their playing days. Is there a next step for you like that? A: I don't see myself going into acting unless it was something for 20 seconds, something fun. If I wanted to do something, I'd want to do it professionally and learn about it. I love working with Boys and Girls Clubs all over the country. I love working with the boys and girls, that's a big priority for me now. Then playing in these exhibitions. These are fun for me. ... There are things I want to do with modeling here and there. I've got to pay the bills. (laughter). That's it. Q: How much do you pay attention to things happening in your home country (Russia)? A: Just enough. My dad keeps me posted. My grandmother and stuff, but I'm not into politics or anything.

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Thanks!!!! nice scans!

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New Spice Girls Video - Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)

very cute!

from tfs

VS. Sorry if this repost.

Venus Williams beats Jankovic to reach U.S. Open semifinals; Henin next NEW YORK -- So expressionless and serious-minded all night, Venus Williams waited to crack a smile until her victory was complete. That's when she simply could not help but grin -- walking to the net for a handshake, waving to the loud crowd, speaking about reaching her first U.S. Open semifinal since 2002. And, certainly, thinking about getting a crack at the player who eliminated her sister. Way down Wednesday night, Williams turned her game on when she needed to and was stronger down the stretch, beating No. 3-seeded Jelena Jankovic 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4) in the U.S. Open quarterfinals. Next up is a semifinal against No. 1 Justine Henin. Know this: Venus Williams watched Henin beat Serena Williams on Tuesday and wants to right the wrong. "I wasn't happy with that result at all. I was sad that she lost. I didn't like to see her so upset," Venus said. "I definitely have to try to win for Williams." The other semifinal has 2004 Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova against No. 6 Anna Chakvetadze in a matchup between Russians who won in straight sets. In one men's semifinal, it will be No. 1 Roger Federer against No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko. Federer improved his career mark against Andy Roddick to 14-1 by beating the fifth-seeded American 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4), 6-2, while Davydenko beat No. 10 Tommy Haas 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. The other two men's quarterfinals are Thursday. Against Jankovic, the older Williams took a while to find the mark, falling behind by a set and a break. But by the end she was playing as well as she did en route to winning Wimbledon in July for her sixth Grand Slam title. Jankovic made four bad mistakes to allow Williams to take control in the decisive tiebreaker. "We had some long points, and I was the one making the errors. I maybe was a little bit excited," Jankovic said. "I thought that it will go in, but it didn't." The 12th-seeded Williams ended it with a swinging forehand volley, an appropriate conclusion given that she made 55 trips to the net, winning 39 of those points. Jankovic was far less aggressive, pushing forward only six times. Williams dictated play in general, finishing with a whopping 60-17 edge in winners, and after the last one, her face muscles finally relaxed with joy. "I like to laugh after the match, especially if I won," she said. "I try to stay focused, in the zone." Speaking to the spectators afterward, Jankovic said: "First of all, I want to say, 'Well done,' to Venus. She deserved to win. She was better at the end." That was quite a different take on things from a disappointed loser than Serena Williams offered after her straight-set setback against Henin, including a reference to the Belgian's "lucky shots." Now take that in, and consider Jankovic's explanation for why she applauded a couple of Venus Williams' top efforts and smiled in appreciation when she glanced at the speed readout and saw a 121 mph serve. "When she hits a great shot, why not? You can say, 'Well done.' Nothing wrong with that," said Jankovic, who beat the older Williams at Wimbledon last year and at the French Open this year. "I cannot do anything when she hits an unbelievable serve. I cannot return it. So why not give her credit?" Jankovic enjoyed nearly every moment out there, smiling while waiting to receive serves and laughing even when she shanked a ball off her ankle or, later, when she slipped to the ground and did a full splits on a key third-set point. She broke in the very first game, capping it with a perfectly placed lob. That was the first of four lob winners that Jankovic curled like a rainbow over the 6-foot-1 Williams, including one so good it drew applause from the American's mom. Jankovic broke again for a 4-1 edge by smacking a return winner off a 100 mph serve. Then, serving for the opening set at 5-4, Jankovic fell behind love-30 and easily could have folded, much as she did when she blew a huge lead against Henin in last year's Open semifinals. But this time, she hung tough, taking four points in a row -- including ending one 19-stroke exchange with a backhand winner -- to grab the set. That drew loud chants of "Yell-eh-na!" from Serb supporters standing at the top of the upper deck. The second set started with more of the same. Williams hit two double-faults -- she wound up with eight -- and wildly missed a swinging volley to set up another break point. Jankovic converted it with -- what else? -- a lob, then held up a fist. And right there is where Williams flipped a switch, her game suddenly as bright as all of the flash bulbs popping around Arthur Ashe Stadium. She took seven of the next eight points, opening a six-game sweep through the end of the set. The third set featured some brilliant shotmaking by both women, exactly the sort of display tournament organizers envisioned when they moved this match off Tuesday's schedule in hopes of adding some star power Wednesday. That sure worked, and the enthralled fans showed their appreciation with a standing ovation before the tiebreaker. They repeated the gesture when the match ended. "It went the distance," Williams said. "It was awesome." Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

Sullen Serena sent packing by Henin ... again By Greg Garber ESPN.com NEW YORK -- When you look past the barriers of language, style, size and shape, Serena Williams and Justine Henin aren't really all that different. They both have been on the planet for a quarter-century and known the exquisite thrill of being the world's No. 1-ranked player. They have won more millions than they can count and collected 14 Grand Slam singles titles between them, with Williams holding an 8-6 edge. Before Tuesday night's U.S. Open quarterfinal match, they had met 11 times, and Williams' modest margin was 6-5. And, beyond the numbers, they have a history. Their misunderstandings of the past have been set aside, and today there seems to be a deep and abiding mutual respect. Not that they don't like to beat each other. To the contrary, they seem to savor it more than almost anything. On Tuesday, they collided again, and Henin, not surprisingly, was the emphatic winner, 7-6 (3), 6-1. The Belgian now has sent Williams home from the past three Grand Slams. Henin will play the winner of Wednesday night's match between Venus Williams and Jelena Jankovic in a Friday semifinal. After her loss Tuesday, in a halting, four-minute interview, Williams was as sullen as she has ever been in public. She said she would have skipped the mandatory session with the press but didn't want to pay the possible $10,000 fine. It would have been money well spent. More than anything, Williams was an exceptionally sore loser, perhaps a window to her consistently vast expectations versus the reality of her current situation. "I really don't feel like talking about it," Williams said. "I can't explain that [result] right now. "I just think she made a lot of lucky shots, and I made a lot of errors." Clearly, she was deeply disappointed, perhaps even demoralized. "No," she said sarcastically. "I'm very happy." Henin, in her post-match interview, might have best explained why Williams was so distraught. "Tactically, it was very clear in my head what I had to do," Henin said. "It's very important to do it from the first point to the end. She loves to have control of the rallies. She loves to be in the court. She doesn't like to be under pressure, especially on the forehand side." Another possibility: Williams never had lost a match to Henin on the hard courts that complement her game (she was 3-0). "There's nothing [negative] to say about my win today," Henin said. "She's at home. She expected a lot of things here. She had a lot of motivation. So that gives a lot of satisfaction." Make no mistake, Henin won this match more than Williams lost it. She was ruthlessly aggressive; both players approached net 14 times, but Henin won 11 points, compared to only five for Williams. There is a reason Henin is the world's No. 1 player and the top seed here, a chain of events that placed Williams down at No. 8. Although they each have a Grand Slam victory this year -- Williams won the Australian Open and Henin captured Roland Garros -- Henin has been having a far better 2007. She has won six of the 10 tournaments she's played and is a prodigious 48-4 on the year. Williams is 30-6, has won only two titles and lost nearly three times as many games as Henin (32 to 11) through the first four rounds here. Henin skipped the Australian Open this year to deal with her divorce from Pierre-Yves Hardenne. She surfaced in February and has built the best resume in women's tennis this year. Williams often has managed to rise above poor preparation and spotty form coming into an event, but it wasn't going to happen against Henin, who, happy and healthy, was a better player in the handful of points that mattered most. Did the recent lack of match play affect Williams adversely? "No," she said. "I don't think it affected me. I mean, I don't think it did. Maybe it did. "You guys, I think, watched it. Maybe you can analyze it better." Both players held a set point before the first-set tiebreaker, and both were visited by nerves when they attempted to close the deal. It went to a tiebreaker, the CliffsNotes of tennis, in which a dozen games are compressed into a similar number of points. Williams won the opening point, the most electric of the match, with a flying backhand volley winner down the line. That was pretty much it for her, though. Henin won three straight points -- with a deep service return, an ace down the middle and a gorgeous running forehand winner down the line. When a shaky Williams forehand found the net, the set and the match essentially were over. Henin won six of seven games in the second set and now has cobbled together another inspiring comeback story. The smallest player in the top 10, Henin has made a career of overcoming adversity. Why should his season be any different? "I proved so many things," she said. "I'm really proud of what I did this year. It's been great because I came back from a very tough situation personally. It was tough to come back professionally and just do my best -- and that's what I did. "I really had a lot of fun, and that's really important."

some old pics

V. WILLIAMS/A. Ivanovic 6-4, 6-2 THE MODERATOR: Questions. Q. Everyone knows how well she's been playing this year, was that kind of a statement match from you? VENUS WILLIAMS: Statement match. I can't say that I'm not here to prove a point per se. I'm definitely out here to advance to the next round, to make my chances better, to get obviously to the title, which is the ultimate goal for every player. So no matter who I'm playing, I'm not out there to prove anything or, so I beat so and so. It's important for me to get to the next round. Q. Are you back to where you were when your sister and you were dominating tennis in the finals here? One of the keys was getting healthy, and then did you ever lose that desire to get back there? VENUS WILLIAMS: Never. I never lost the desire. Definitely had some tough losses. Even early this year trying get back and get healthy and find my game. But I think that always builds character and makes the wins a lot sweeter. So ultimately I love what I do. I love playing tennis and that's why I play, win, lose or draw. Well, never a draw, but win or lose. Q. Are we jumping to conclusions matching the two Williams sisters in a couple of rounds? VENUS WILLIAMS: That would be awesome because it would mean that there he is a Williams in the final, and it would mean that Americans have a chance to win. I think this whole couple weeks has been great for American tennis. Seeing the two guys play well was really exciting. Obviously Serena and I are in the draw, so it's just nice, and James and Andy. Just great. Q. You kept really serving much better than her. You never allowed her to get really get into too many points. VENUS WILLIAMS: No. I have to use my serve as a weapon, and obviously my first serve is a really weapon. So definitely I wanted to get my first serve percentage up today. It's just about being able to perform when it's most necessary, and obviously she's a very good player, really talented and I know that it'll do me a lot of good to get that first serve. Q. It seemed like even off the ground you were rushing her. You made her uncomfortable on your serve. VENUS WILLIAMS: I think that she wanted to get the first hit against me. I don't think she wanted me to get my racquet on the ball. So I think that was a lot of pressure for her. Personally that's how I felt. Q. Are you playing as well as you did the last couple of rounds of Wimbledon? VENUS WILLIAMS: The funny part is that I never felt that I played well at Wimbledon. Finally, I looked at some films this week and I was like, Oh, I played very well. Finally the realization came that I did play well. Q. You started so well in that first match and people were yelling at you. VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. No match is a given. You got fight for each and every point no matter who the opponent is. I think all of us professionals understand that. Q. A couple of years ago I asked your mom about the crowd, and she said that she was surprised that the crowds weren't behind you and Serena, and that now I asked her about it today and she said that it really turned around, and it was amazing how the crowds here really seemed to get behind you and your sister. How do you feel about that and have you noticed it? VENUS WILLIAMS: I didn't hear anything today. I didn't hear any -- only people I could hear was maybe in my box, but other than that most of the time I don't hear. In a zone. Q. How different do you approach this from Wimbledon? Because your game a somewhat similar. You've been coming in a lot, and hitting the ball pretty big, the way you would on grass. Is the surface similar so it makes it easier for you to play that or do you say, Hey I'm going to play like I did at Wimbledon, why not? VENUS WILLIAMS: I definitely have the game where I'm hitting the set up shot that I should come in, so I have to obviously do the right thing and come in. I think the courts are playing slower, to be honest. I see a lot of long points now, a lot of people running down a lot of balls. So I don't think the courts are playing too fast as in previous years maybe. Q. Even at Wimbledon? VENUS WILLIAMS: Even at Wimbledon, yeah, I think they were definitely playing slower. But, you know, ultimately I'm going to -- anyone who wins a big tournament, is aggressive, take chances and execute. That's how it's done. Q. You've always been a very composed person. You seem exceptionally calm right now, and through this tournament. Where is that coming from? VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know. A blessing from God, I guess. When I got on the court I just wanted to not rush, and just take my time, and just go ahead and do what I needed to do, tell myself to just go ahead and take care of the job, if that makes any sense. A lot of times in my head I just try to make it simpler and not let it get complicated, and just really enjoy hitting the ball. Q. It's been some years since you won here. Do you remember the feeling you had on court then, and can you compare it at all to how you're feeling? VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes: Jubilee. Always so excited when I win. No one is more happy than me. So it was definitely very good. I always feel really fantastic winning here. Q. I mean the tennis itself, how you're playing? VENUS WILLIAMS: How I feel now? Q. Yeah. The way you feel about your game. VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm always looking to improve. Always, you know, just like I said, I never felt I was playing well at Wimbledon until I finally realized. So I'm trying not to be so hard on myself, and obviously notice the good things that I'm doing, and try not to be an overachiever type. Q. Do you feel like you have anything left to prove in this game, and that everything that comes now is sort of gravy? VENUS WILLIAMS: For me I've always tried to take my game to the next level, not just me but my dad. We always try to make new moves and play differently and bring new things to the game, so I definitely feel like there's a lot more that I can bring to the game in terms of my style play: Aggressive. Even the things like playing less aggressive and coming in on a slice, and coming in after a return, all kinds of things I still I can bring to the court, and that's exciting to me. Q. Did you give your sister any advice on how to play Marion? VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. I sent her an e mail because I was asleep when she left the hotel. For sure, we always do that. Q. Any specific tips? VENUS WILLIAMS: I can't reveal that. Q. Did she give you any advice against Ana? VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. I saw her before the match and, yeah, she gave me advice. Q. How much freer do you feel right now without being burdened by injuries as far as running on the court. I mean, you're still dancing even after you win. You're on the balls of your feet. Describe what it feels like to run and hit shots that seem to be much freer. VENUS WILLIAMS: I mean, it takes a lot of energy, like a lot of strength to move the way that I move, and that's something that I definitely realize coming back from my injury. I mean, I was at zero, super thin. Not that I'm huge now, I was like -- I had nothing and I realized, oh, my God. It takes so much strength to move like that. So coming back from that injury I realized how many blessings I have and just all the wonderful things that I was blessed with to be able to do and how hard I worked to get to there. Just starting from zero to get back to that was very challenging. It took a while. For me, moving and hitting freely and running fast is all hard work, but it's worth it. Q. When Serena was in her first set, obviously very early match, they showed you out on the practice courts. Did you get to see the end of her match at all? VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. I got to see the end of her match and she did really well. Q. So you knew what was happening? VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, yeah. Sometimes I'm saying to myself, Okay, maybe you shouldn't watch the match so you don't get tight for your match. I'm always peeking. I can't help it. I always have to peek even if I tell myself I can't watch. Q. Did you guys spend time together? When you're at a tournament like this together do you spend a lot of time away from the court? Do you eat meals together? Do you shop? VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, we shop together. Like we went shopping the first week. I just put on like jeans and a T shirt and I went to her room and she had on a dress. I quickly left and went to go change. It's like, she looks so good and I went and put a dress on. I started looking good too. We do the sister thing. Q. How on earth can you go shopping in New York without attracting a mob? VENUS WILLIAMS: Every day is a little different. Some days no one bothers you and other days when I'm walking the dog and like the other day the bus driver jumped out of the bus. Stopped the bus, jumped out, and was running. I was like -- that day like everybody was, you know, seeing me. Just depends sometimes. Q. When you guys shop, is it one of you goes in and puts on something and the other one tells, do you like it or you don't? Is it like that, like going out with a girlfriend? VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. We kind of compete, try to run through the store and compete to find the best outfit. If it doesn't fit the other then we switch. Sometime we try on something that's looks like we know the outfit is terrible and we try it on just for jokes. We come out looking horrible and we laugh and take pictures, so it's funny. Q. You said before when you're out there you're in a zone and you really don't hear all the voices. But you do get a sense of how many people like to see you play and how much they want to see you win? How do you get that sense? VENUS WILLIAMS: I think well, a lot of times, you know, if I'm hitting really good shots, like powerful shots or running down shots and doing things that are just, you know, really great, then I definitely feel like I'm entertaining the crowd and I feel like they're definitely into this like, Wow, I'm getting to see something. I'm being entertained. I do like that feeling. Q. Where is your favorite place to shop? SoHo? Bloomingdale's? Madison Avenue? VENUS WILLIAMS: I've really slowed down on my shopping for once in my life. We went out the other day and I bought a pair of shoes. Finally I don't need anything. Feels free. Q. What are you and Serena most competitive about with each other? You guys are such great competitors. I would imagine the problem might not be tennis but something completely away from your career. VENUS WILLIAMS: What are we most competitive of? Q. I asked Serena who was faster and she wouldn't answer. If you want to that's great. VENUS WILLIAMS: Who's faster? We move different. I'm tall. It's completely different how we move. I don't know. We don't really compete. We just try to help each other more or less. Q. If you play Jankovic, I'm sure you want to show her that you're a lot better than you showed in the last time you played her. VENUS WILLIAMS: She's a good competitor. She played well and deserved to win. I've definitely improved since then and gotten healthier. I feel a lot better and gotten stronger. It's a progression, and ultimately the best competitor will win and one of you won't.

S. WILLIAMS/M. Bartoli 6-3, 6-4 THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. What caused you to lose focus on the first two points? SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't think I lost focus. I don't think I lost focus because it was in the beginning of the match. Q. For you what was the key of this match? SERENA WILLIAMS: I think the key was definitely being able to hold serve. She has a good return and she was actually serving better, I thought today, than she had in maybe some Wimbledons, because I saw her play in Wimbledon. I thought her serves were much faster. Q. Can you talk about possibly playing Justine. Third time you guys have played in a Slam this year. How do you feel you're going into that match against her? SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, I'm going in feeling like I don't have anything to lose. I just feel different now. Excited about the prospect of meeting her again. Q. If you do play Justine, do you think this surface is the best surface for that matchup for you? SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't really care what surface I play on. So I mean, US Open now, so I don't I don't think about it that way. Q. Where would you put your level at now after four matches? SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm definitely better than I was in my first match. Each match I feel like that I've gotten better. I'm still not where I want to be or near. But I feel like I'm doing better, which is important. Q. Just talk about the thumb and the effect on a two handed backhand? Any residual? SERENA WILLIAMS: No. I don't have any pain when I hit a backhand at all. Not at all. I've been really, really excited that I don't have anything. Q. When did the pain finally go away and how much of a relief was it? SERENA WILLIAMS: I think it went away probably right during the tournament or when the tournament started, because I don't remember having much pain in my first round, or I don't remember. Maybe a little bit but not much. Just it's been really good, and I've been really, really happy about that. Q. Have you lost your voice a little bit? You sound a little hoarse. SERENA WILLIAMS: Do I? Q. Yeah. SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know why. I didn't scream too much today. Q. Is there anything else that might be physically affecting you right now? The thumb is okay, but is there something that we're not seeing that might be affecting your focus? SERENA WILLIAMS: There are a lot things that I think affects everyone. I would be the last person to tell you just in case Justine or Safina reads it, and they're like, Oh, I know what to do. Q. You're very good at coming back and playing great after not playing for a long time. What advice would you give as the secret to do that? SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I think it's important for players to have match play. I would have preferred to have Pilot Pen or L.A. or at least one tournament under my belt going into this because I think it just makes it a little bit easier. Just fight. That's the only thing I can say. Q. Your serve in Australia was really key to your win there. Did you start to feel that kind of rhythm in your match today on your serve? SERENA WILLIAMS: I definitely felt a lot better on my serve today, especially against her because she's actually a really good returner. So I felt that my serve was actually a lot better today than had been in my previous matches. It's on track. I want it to just keep getting better with each round, especially now with the quarterfinals. Q. You said before you feel different now, is that just physically or is there an emotional component to that, too? SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I don't know when I said "I feel different now." Q. Just at the start of this interview. SERENA WILLIAMS: Did I? Q. As opposed to the other times you were getting ready to play Justine. SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh. I can't keep up with what I say on a daily basis. I might have been just jabbering at my lips. Might have just been filling space. Q. I guess maybe are you more confident now or something like that? Do you feel better about your game going into this match with Justine? SERENA WILLIAMS: At Wimbledon I couldn't hit a backhand, so I'm very confident in that fact that I'll be able to do that. I was really proud of myself to get that far because I had to take six weeks after, so I was thinking how in the world did I even play? Just having that confidence is always positive.She played well at the French. I don't think I played well, but I think she did and she was really focused. It's just a new start for me. Q. Did you ever get an explanation or were you offered an explanation about the other official's concerns about the notebook or is that just a closed issue? SERENA WILLIAMS: The guy apparently he's an officially for the ATP Tour and he got confused because I was playing so well. He thought I was playing on the ATP Tour, and so he got that confused. So he got that confused. On that tour I guess you're not allowed to have notes. I don't know. I don't play on that tour. I'm assuming that's what the rule is. I think he got confused. He was really impressed with my serve. Q. Do you then have an understanding it if it's okay that you do some reading in the match now? SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, it's definitely okay. I mean, it's something I've done my whole career. I'm not one to I never got signals or any of that stuff. Pretty much when I'm out there, even when they have the coaching, I hate to call out coach when they have them. Sometimes I do, but I never really want to. So I'm always out there by myself and that helps me to stay focused. Q. Outside of Venus Justine's played you tougher than any other player of your generation. Talk about that and why the rivalry has become so special. SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, she's playing well and she's fighting for everything. She kind of believes that she can win, and maybe that's what makes that special. Q. What was it like playing with that thumb against her at Wimbledon? SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know how I played. Like I wasn't going to play, and then like the doctors were like, Oh -- when I injured my calf they're like, You shouldn't play. Then when I injured the thumb they were like, You can play. They had it was vice versa, so I probably shouldn't have played. They were like, Okay, well, you can play. We don't see anything wrong. I'm like, Okay. I'll play. And with the calf they were like, Don't go back out, and I totally could have. Are you guys following me? Okay. So honestly I really think my slice is a lot better than it was at Wimbledon. I had a terrible slice back then. I don't know. Again, I just don't know how I was able to compete on any level being how -- seeing how bad it was when I went to see a hand specialist in the U.S. Like seeing the degree and the level of it I was really shocked, and impressed. Q. What exactly what was medical diagnosis? SERENA WILLIAMS: I had a really bad sprain in my ligament. It's common with football players for like safeties or whatever position. They kind of grab the helmet and the thumb kind of goes back. They never see this injury like outside of football players, so it was really strange. Like I said, I went to a specialist and he was able to diagnose it well. Q. Is that the guy in L.A.? SERENA WILLIAMS: No. It was a different guy. And I just had to be like in a splint without moving it. Always had my thumb up, so it was weird. Q. You're bringing football injuries to the sport of tennis. SERENA WILLIAMS: Right. Q. How hard it was being out all of six weeks? I think you came to watch James at a tournament. Was that hard watching, or do you get inspired watching him again? SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, it was really difficult because I was on a roll and I felt like I was going to win Wimbledon. I felt like I was just going to do big things in the summer. I wanted to win the thing where you can double your money here. I was really ready to play, and I felt like, you know, when I final dedicate myself this happens. So it was actually frustrating and I had to get over -- mentally I just had to like just pull myself back and be like it's going to be okay, because it was really hard. I felt like I was working so hard, and to have another setback was frustrating to say the least. Q. In the locker room of the quarterfinal of Wimbledon, Venus said that you talked to her and kind of gave her a pep talk. Like, Do it for me because I don't know if I'm going to be able to do it. Do you guys talk about who's going to win semifinal the end of year Grand Slam titles, because you're each tied at one now. SERENA WILLIAMS: No. Well, we don't talk about that. We're pretty focused on both of our matches. Obviously I want nothing but the best for her and she wants nothing but the best for me, unless of course we're playing each other. Then it's like, Okay I want to win. That's how we look at it. Q. So Serena, level wise you're saying you're going to have to get a lot better. How much better? If Justine plays her best, what do you have to go, 20, 30% from where you were today? SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, I'm playing better each round. I'm not trying to peak until I can get to the finals, and that's when I really bring my A game out. I feel like I can do it if I'm there. Q. But this could be a final. If your seeding was a little higher you're talking about you have the eight Slams and Justine has six. If you're at opposite ends of draw it's a potential final. SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, V has six, too. Q. Will you be able to attend the African American parade held once a year in Harlem? SERENA WILLIAMS: The African American gay parade? Q. The African American parade in Harlem. SERENA WILLIAMS: Because there is the other parade going on. No, I won't be able to attend any parades. I'm very focused on my tennis. Q. Because the community miss you a lot. SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I'm trying to stay out there and just do the best I can on the court.

candids L.A. 09/01