Wimbledon--what they said

Five years ago your career started in Oakland. That night when you played, did you have any idea where your career was going, and do you remember much about that night?
"Oh, yeah, I remember a lot about that night. I got to the tennis and I left my clothes on the bed in the hotel. So that wasn't the best start."

Venus Williams

"...I say like, 'Okay, go down, go up, do this.' Then I toss the ball and I'm already by the fence running. I am just escaping the serve....I go away from the serve. Okay, I start the serve, but I don't end up the shot. I'm going away. That's why I'm serving double‑faults. I'm not finishing the serve. It's kind of technical."

Dinara Safina, deconstructing her double faults

Did you ever feel like you were actually ever in the game today?
"Not really. I tried. I tried many time. I was not totally out. I did my best to try to play, but I couldn't."

Agnieszka Radwanska

"She has every shot. She's very strong mentally. She fights until the last moment. I think she just has the whole package, what makes her a great champion."

Victoria Azarenka, referring to Serena Williams

Are you working specifically on the mental side of your game?
"If I would work, I would not serve 250 double faults today...."

Dinara Safina

"I do have strategy. Maybe it doesn't look like it, but I do. I think that's my secret weapon, that it doesn't look like I'm thinking, but I am."

Venus Williams

"I think I learned how to play on grass actually. I know that I can play on grass now and that I don't have to be afraid to come back next year and play all the grass court tournaments."

Sabine Lisicki

"...it will be a really good matchup to me. She's playing really well on the grass. She hasn't been stretched too much in any of her matches either, so she's kind of like going undercover, you know, and bam."

Serena Williams on her next opponent, Elena Dementieva

People might be expecting an all‑Williams final. Do you think we can have an all‑Russian final instead?
"Can we play just two finals instead?"

Elena Dementieva