It’s a Sparkling Return for Youngest Williams

Whether it’s the mall, an expensive jewelry store or a tennis tournament, 17-year-old Serena Williams inevitably leaves Southern California with a few new possessions.

Two trips here have yielded two titles in 1999.

Her collection is rapidly expanding. The sixth-seeded Williams won her third event of the year, the Acura Classic on Sunday, beating Julie Halard-Decugis of France, 6-1, 6-4, in the 1-hour 21-minute final at the Manhattan Country Club in Manhattan Beach.

“It’s really exciting. I believe I’m undefeated this year in California,” she said. “There’s no more tournaments here, so I’m on a streak. I love it in California. I can do well here.”

What isn’t there to like?

Williams started this tournament trading quips with Jay Leno and finished with another victory. In March, she had a screen test--by all accounts a successful one--and punctuated the event at Indian Wells, Calif., by knocking off the now-retired Steffi Graf in three sets in the final.

Sunday’s final did not have the drama of the Graf-Williams match in March, but, for Williams, there were immediate and longer-lasting ramifications.

Short term: Williams won $80,000, a shiny Acura, and above all, the chance to procure a pricey necklace she spotted in a Manhattan Beach store.

Cost? Williams giggled and refused to say how many zeros there were on the price tag but pointed out the obvious: “The first stop will be the jewelry store.”

Long term: Williams vacates the No. 11 spot in the world--handing it over to Halard-Decugis--and moves to No. 9 today, equaling her previous career high. The power and precision she displayed in the late rounds--particularly against No. 1-ranked Martina Hingis in the semifinals--puts Williams among top contenders for the upcoming U.S. Open.

You might say Williams is in the acquisition phase of her career.

Of course, No. 1 is her goal, one she feels is attainable. On Sunday, another voice seconded the motion.

“She’s playing like No. 1,” Halard-Decugis said. “She beat No. 1 last night. I’ve played Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, several times, the No. 1 player. She’s played like the No. 1.”

The evidence was Williams’ seven aces and 25 winners. Halard-Decugis had no aces and only 12 winners. Each player committed 24 unforced errors.

“I think I played better last night, do you guys agree?” Williams said.

“Yeah, I definitely played better last night. I think I was a little nervous in the beginning.”

But she set the tone, winning the first two games of the match, both of them difficult ones. Williams opened the match and held after five deuces and one break point. She then broke Halard-Decugis to go up 2-0 and the match was already 13 minutes old.

Her lone shaky moment came late in the match, a series of unforced errors in the eighth game of the second set. Halard-Decugis broke Williams at 30, which was the only time Williams lost her serve this weekend.

“I felt pretty disappointed about that because I was trying to finish off the tournament without losing serve,” Williams said. “I was very disappointed, but that’s OK. I knew I wouldn’t lose my next serve because I’m really confident in my serve.

“It’s OK once in a lifetime to lose serve.”

Williams had defeated Halard-Decugis, 6-2, 6-3, in the quarterfinals of the Open Gaz de France in Paris earlier this year in their only previous meeting. Both players agreed they played better on Sunday.

“She served pretty well today,” Halard-Decugis said. “More powerful and she moves better on the court than the last time I played her. She didn’t give me any points. She was very confident after winning against Martina Hingis.”

Nevertheless, Williams came here after a long layoff, having not played a WTA event since the French Open when she lost to Mary Joe Fernandez in the third round. If others were caught by surprise, well, Williams was not.

“Not at all. I’m not surprised,” she said. “I’m never surprised. I’ve been working since I was four years old. To be quite honest, I definitely should have a few more titles.”

Ah, the impatience of a teenager.

Williams, however, is realistic about the next step, recognizing her shortcomings in Grand Slam events, since she has yet to advance past the fourth round.

“I guess I’m better also,” she said. “I have to play a little better to keep going.

“But I’m OK.”