By IANS,
Melbourne : American tennis star Serena Williams will not be watching movies during the Australian Open and focus solely on the business of winning.
Last year, Williams went to the movies before her quarter-final match against Serb Jelena Jankovic to ease off some pressure but was shattered when she lost. The former No.1 said this year she will be room-bound as she makes a shot at a 10th Grand Slam title.
“My mum (Oracene Price) is here, a friend’s here,” Serena was quoted as saying in Herald Sun. “Last year I went to the movies, but I’m not going to do that this year because I lost. So I’m just going to stay in my room.
“What athlete isn’t superstitious? I try not to be, but I can’t help it.”
The World No.2 sounded an ominous warning on the eve of the Open, declaring she is yet to reach her peak despite winning nine majors since 1999.
“I feel like I’m trying to improve on my game and get better,” the US Open champion said.
“I hope I’m better than what I was five years ago. I would say that I am. But a lot of the girls now, especially when they play against me, and probably Venus too, they want to beat the best players and say that I was able to beat them.”
It has not escaped Williams that her triumphs have come in evenly spaced odd years – 2003, 2005, 2007. When reminded of the sequence, Williams smiled and said: “I know.”
She believes she has erased the memories of a semi-final loss last week in Sydney to eventual champion Elena Dementieva of Russia, and is ready to strike.
“I actually am pretty happy about my preparation,” she said. “I felt like I got some really good matches under me in Sydney and still with plenty of time to rest and get ready for this event.
“Off-season was really tough, so I tried to work a little bit.”
One of Williams’ most pressing assignments Monday is connected to her preoccupation with television, music and movies.
“I’m obsessed with Desperate Housewives, so I’m waiting for Monday so I can download the next episode,” she said.