STANFORD, CALIF. —  Reflecting on her ill-fated second-round doubles match at Wimbledon, an odd, YouTube-worthy affair in which her sister Serena appeared disoriented and was forced to retire after only three error-filled games, Venus Williams says she could have handled things differently. 

“That was really challenging.  I shouldn’t have let her play,” said Williams at the Bank of the West Classic, where she’s prepping for a blockbuster second-round match against Victoria Azarenka.  “It’s hard when you’re in the moment, because I know how I am.  I don’t want anyone to tell me not to play.  I wanted her to put the racquet away, but I tried not to be bossy. It was just a tough situation for both of us.   She tricked me into letting her try.  I’m just glad she walked off the court.  Sometimes you have to have courage to walk on; sometimes you have to have courage to walk off, too.”

“She was totally like, ‘Serena, walk off the court.’  I think she almost punched me,” Serena told reporters on Monday.  “She’s like, ‘Walk off the court.  It’s big sister, I’m telling you, you have to leave.’  I’m like, ‘No, it’s just half the court.  I can do it.’”  She always plays the whole court anyway.”

Serena admitted that she was truly shaken by the event, but Venus says she barely had time to digest what was happening.

“You’re so in the moment, you just try to deal with that moment at that time,” she told Tennis View.  “I think that’s what was happening.”

Speaking of health, Venus, who’s still dealing with the effects of a rare autoimmune disease known as Sjogren’s syndrome, showed flashes of her old self on Tuesday in defeating Polish qualifier Paula Kania 6-3 6-2.  She says she’s relishing every fatigue-free moment.  

“I‘m always trying something new, because if one thing isn’t working, you have to flip the script,” she said.  “That’s what I’m always doing. I’ve been blessed to do what I do already.  Those are undeserved blessings. Nobody deserves a blessing, per se, but I’m blessed to be doing better.  I’m just praying for good health and I’m happy with anything that I can get.”

How long will the 34-year-old keep playing?

“As long as I’m good,” she said.  “I’m running pretty fast.  If I get slow and I’m terrible, then I’ll stop.  I’m not having kids right now it seems.  I don’t have any husband telling me what to do.  We don’t have to argue every day.  Right now I don’t have all that.  So for me it’s easy to keep playing tennis.”

She’s not the overpowering server she used to be, concentrating more on placement these days.  (Ironically, Germany’s Sabine Lisicki snapped Williams’ seven-year-old speed mark of 129 mph Tuesday at Stanford with a 131-mph blast.)  And the seven-time Grand Slam champion seems happy just to be standing after all these years.  But despite not having won a major since 2008, the Floridian insists she can still envision holding up one of those trophies again one day.

“That’s what I play for,” she said.  “I definitely wouldn’t have kept playing through all those challenges if that wasn’t what I was playing for.  I’m not playing just to win a few rounds and show my face. That’s not what I’m here for.  That’s why I continue to work through any issues I have.  When my chance comes, I’ve put in the work.”

Where does she picture that day happening?  On the emerald lawns of Wimbledon?  In the cacophonic environs of Arthur Ashe Stadium?

“I don’t care where,” Venus laughed.  “It doesn’t matter to me — singles, doubles, anything — it’s a Grand Slam title.”

This is a particularly special event for Williams.  It was at the Bank of the West Classic, in 1994, when the tournament was played in Oakland, that Venus made her pro debut.  She has since reached seven finals here and will shoot for another this week.  Did she ever imagine that she’d still be playing professional tennis some 20 years later?

“It’s been a long journey,” she marveled.  “I don’t know at that age if I would have envisioned that I’d still be playing, but I’m glad I am.  You get one shot at it, then you fade to gray somewhere and someone else is better.  While I’m here, I’m going to go for it.”