Winning Makes It Easy to Forget the Past

Sure, Steffi Graf has a decent forehand.

“I actually think I have the best forehand out there on the tour,” Serena Williams says.

And there’s more.

“Steffi is playing a great game,” Williams said, from the lofty perch of a 10-match winning streak. “She’s a good athlete. She’s fast. I’m fast. I’m a great athlete. It’s going to be exciting.”

Welcome to the women’s final today in the Evert Cup at Grand Champions Resort. By defeating 12th-seeded Sandrine Testud of France, 7-5, 6-0, in the semifinals Friday, Williams, 17, will be attempting to win her second straight tournament.

Williams, who is unseeded, has not lost a set in five matches. In four matches, the fifth-seeded Graf dropped one set, to Chanda Rubin in the semifinals. In their only meeting, Graf defeated Williams, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5, in the round of 16 at Sydney.

January was a lifetime ago, according to Williams.

“To be honest, I couldn’t play back then,” she said. “I didn’t have anything. She won, 7-5, in the third.”

Testud was the last player to defeat Williams, in the third round of the Australian Open in Melbourne. Williams lost after holding two match points.

A lifetime ago, Williams lectured reporters, a favorite pastime.

“Wait a minute. That was the past,” she said. “Australia was a long time ago. I don’t even remember back then, man. I was young. . . . Well, I don’t lose those type of matches anymore, if I’m ahead. Unless the player comes up with some great winners and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Williams refused to let that happen against Testud, winning the final eight games in an impressive display of power. Williams had 27 winners to Testud’s seven.

“Today she was very consistent the whole match,” Testud said. “It didn’t happen that way in the past. She could play unbelievable shots, play great games for a few games, one set maybe. But she was never going to play her whole match like she did today.”

This led to the inevitable question. Who is better? Serena Williams or her older sister, Venus?

“I don’t want to get them upset,” Testud said, laughing. “I don’t know. They’re both great players.”

Today’s Featured Matches

STADIUM COURT, STARTING AT 11 A.M.

* Carlos Moya, Spain (4) vs. Gustavo Kuerten, Brazil.

* Steffi Graf, Germany (5) vs. Serena Williams.

* Chris Woodruff vs. Mark Philippoussis, Australia.