Meniscus Magazine asks Serena Williams about…numbers

Following her third-round victory over Andrea Petkovic at the 2015 Rogers Cup in Toronto, Serena Williams told reporters in a press conference that she felt “off” and “negative” during the match.  Seeing that Williams defeated the No. 16 player, 6-3, 6-2, this prompted some questions from our side.

Serena Williams felt even less pumped up about her victory after her third-round win in Toronto than she appears in this photo. (photo by Kwai Chan / Meniscus Magazine)

Kwai Chan: Can I ask you a question, then, given your answers so far?  Because when I look at the stats, I see that the entire match took an hour long – actually, it was one hour and two minutes long. You didn’t have a break point against you. You had three break points [converted], and you won 61 percent of all your shots.

Serena Williams: [raises eyebrows] Maybe I’m too hard on myself.

You actually had nine aces. My question is, to me that’s as perfect as you can get statistically speaking – and yet I see yourself sort of addressing yourself, talking to yourself during the match – I was just curious, why you feel that way?

[pauses and shakes her head] Those are great stats. I usually don’t have those stats. You know, I just didn’t – did it look that clean?

Yeah.

It did? Is it just me? Am I just — it’s just me? My coach [Patrick Mouratoglou] is right? He said I played good.

[reporters laugh]

Ugh.  So maybe it’s just me. I just – I just didn’t feel it. Maybe – maybe I did. Clearly, you know, statistics speak.

Nine aces?  Wow.  In two sets.

Could have had 10. Always try for better. [gives a thumbs-up sign and a smile]

The exchange begins at the 2:00 mark in the press conference video below:

https://youtu.be/MLa47OU0d2A

video by Mai D. Chan / Meniscus Magazine

Photos: Serena Williams d. Andrea Petkovic, 2015 Rogers Cup third round
all photos by Kwai Chan / Meniscus Magazine