Q. Do you feel that you’re playing yourself much better into form now?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I feel like I’m playing better. I hope. Hopefully I can keep going forward.

Q. Still room for improvement?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, for sure. Today Idefinitely could have — I made a few errors, but it wasa different game. So there was definitely room forimprovement. My serve wasn’t as good today.There’s always room for improvement.

Q. What do you remember most about when youplayed Maria the first time here 11 years ago? One of the best matches I can remember seeing.
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don’t know. I just rememberhitting an inside out forehand, and, yeah, when I wasdown match point. I remember hitting it as hard as Icould.Yeah, that’s all I remember. I remember obviously winning, and that was really great.

Q. Is that one of the most memorable points ofyour career, you think?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No. I have had a lot of downmatch point semifinals, Grand Slams, so, no, Iwouldn’t say so. I mean, it’s definitely up there. Don’tget me wrong. I was really — I mean, that winpropelled me to win the tournament, so…But, yeah, but there’s probably — I would give it in thetop 10 or top 5.

Q. What do you remember about the next match you played her a couple years later in the final when you were unseeded, green dress…
SERENA WILLIAMS: Okay. I remember at that pointI wasn’t expecting to get that far, and then I was –when I was in the final, I just honestly didn’t expect tobe in the final. I remember I made up my mind I have absolutely nothing to lose in this match, and, I don’tknow, I just started playing really well.Because she was the favorite. She was No. 1. Ireally didn’t have anything to lose, so it was just like,Hey, I’m just going to go for broke.

Q. Have you been able to keep that attitude against her since then? It’s been all wins sincethose two matches.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, but every match is new.You know, she always brings in something new andsomething special. She’s very consistent, as well. Yeah, she knows how to be — one player that’s always consistently winning and training and working hard and winning matches.

Q. Do you feel like you go in with extraconfidence against her or do you feel you bothstart from zero?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don’t know. I just feel like I’m really confident in my game right now, not against her or against any other opponent. I’m just really looking at me right now, and I feel like if I can just continue to play well, then it could be good.

Q. Could you just talk about in general and overall the difference between the feeling you have when you win a tournament or big match,the joy of those victories versus the other emotion, just getting pissed off when you lose and sort of the anger and frustration when you lose? Just comparing those.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I mean, when you win,you’re obviously excited and happy, and when youlose you’re not excited. I think that’s something thathappens all across the spectrum in life. I’m just –and even outside of tennis. So I don’t know.I just feel like it is something that is really different to, you know, to play on such a high level and then to win and then to lose.

Q. For you, which of those two motivates you more or gets you going?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I mean, for my wholecareer I have been motivated by losses. So that’sjust been my thing. When I lose, I just get better. So each time I take a loss, I feel like I get better.

Q. Considering your good record against Maria, how do you prepare for that match? Do you look back at previous ones very often?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Not so often. I really just –sometimes I do, and this particular time I just havebeen working on different things. I’ve just got to look forward to doing that.

Q. When someone has a long winning streak against another opponent, who do you think feels the more pressure, the person winning or the person who’s losing?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think — I think the personwho’s winning could definitely feel the pressurebecause there is a lot of expectations. The person who is losing, well, I have lost X amount in a row; Idon’t have anything to lose. But in this situation, I don’t have anything to losebecause I’m just here — every tournament for me isjust a bonus at this point in my career.So it’s an interesting place to be at.

Q. What’s been fun for you this Australian Open,away from the court?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I went to the botanical gardens, just walking, one day.I went to a costume shop the other day.

Q. What did you find?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I found a sword that look likeHe Man. I tried to post on my Snap Chat. I didn’thave service. It was a funny video —

Q. Some late night Snap Chatting with GoldenGirls?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. I haven’t been doing anything. I have been spending a lot of time learningabout myself this trip. It’s been kind of sad. I havebeen like alone a lot. It’s been kind of like boring. But…

Q. What have you learned about yourself that youdidn’t know two weeks ago?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think I hate being by myself (laughter). As much as I always am, like, I want to bealone, I don’t think I like it so much. It’s just been –it’s been long. I feel like I have been here for threemonths.

Q. I remember you saying at some point early on you thought you were too old for Snap Chat. Seems like you’ve fallen for it now.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Is that on record? I know I definitely felt that way a few months ago. But I don’t know. Now it’s just become part of my life. (Laughter.)

Q. There has been a lot of hype this week about Dari Gavrilova’s run. I think you played her once.What’s your assessment? Do you have an opinion?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I played her once but awhile ago. Even then I thought she was a really goodplayer. I loved her personality and her attitude on the court and off the court.It’s always good to see young players like that. Iknow her. She used to train at the academy with Patrick, so I kind of know her a little bit. So that’skind of cool, too.

Q. Are you surprised at her run this week?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, not at all. I think she’s doing great. She’s winning matches that I think she’s capable of winning. So, yeah, I’m not really surprised.

Q. Who’s your favorite Golden Girls character?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Probably Sophia. Yeah.

Q. What do you like most about Melbourne?Anything you need to check off your list? Youhave obviously been here a few times.
SERENA WILLIAMS: I love how it’s just — it’s thislittle world that no one can discover or appreciateunless you come. It’s just — they have the best cafes;they have the best restaurants. I just learned a couple years ago that Melbourne is famous for its coffee, which I would have never even known. I just love discovering those little places. I love likethe really organic shops that are just around townthat are just really cool.I just love this little — this world. It’s so many wonderful things that I’m always discovering everytime I come here.