Williams’ Crown Is Open and Shout Case : Women: Serena, the little sister who could, pulls it together and knocks off top-ranked Hingis to win title.

The little sister spent her formative years nestled in the background, which was good and bad. She watched the attention wash over her older sibling, knowing the time would come when she would establish her own identity and people would notice.

Powerfully and persuasively, she made them do just that Saturday.

Still, the biggest surprise was that the little sister beat her big sister to the finish line. It was inevitable that a Williams sister would join Althea Gibson in the history books--but it was 17-year-old Serena, not 19-year-old Venus.

Serena Williams became only the second African American woman to win a Grand Slam singles title, as the seventh-seeded Williams defeated top-seeded Martina Hingis of Switzerland, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), in the U.S. Open final at the National Tennis Center. Venus, eliminated by Hingis in the semifinals, was reduced to spectator status.

“It was pretty exciting,” Serena Williams said of her reaction after Hingis’ final backhand sailed out. “I’m thinking, ‘Should I scream? Should I yell? Should I cry? What should I do?’

“I guess I ended up doing them all.”

How fitting that the final was played in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Ashe’s widow was in attendance, as was Serena’s mentor, a tearful, joyful Zina Garrison, a Wimbledon finalist herself in 1990. The prognosticating father of the sisters, Richard, was momentarily speechless, dashing out of the friends box.

“It’s my proudest moment,” he said. “I’m so proud. Words can’t explain how I’m feeling.”

Then he took a detour into the men’s room. After reemerging, Richard kept on talking with a small group of reporters, flanked by two of his longtime advisors. He went down a long flight of stairs and chuckled about his good-luck charm. Richard reached into his pocket, pulled out a camera and a small bottle of scotch.

“A woman gave this to me and said, ‘If you get nervous during the match,’ ” he said. “Lyndrea, my daughter, said, ‘My daddy doesn’t drink!’ ”

The father wouldn’t have been blamed if he reached into his pocket when his youngest daughter squandered two match points in the ninth game of the second set. Hingis, typically tenacious, saved the match points on her serve, watching Williams knock a backhand out on one and a backhand return into the net. Hingis cut Williams’ lead to 5-4.

That was the first time Williams looked like a Grand Slam final neophyte. Her legs quit moving and her serve started misfiring. Hingis, the Grand Slam veteran of 18, started keeping the ball in play, prolonging the rallies once she figured out her opponent was getting nervous.

“After I lost those two match points, I was very upset with myself,” Williams said. “I remember at the Lipton how I had two match points against her then. I actually lost the match. I was like, ‘Serena, this can’t happen. You have to think positive things.’ ”

Said Hingis: “I think I wasn’t the only person at the end who was scared. She had two match points, wasn’t able to close them out right away. I think she was a bit more scared than I was actually at the end because I’ve been there, done it.”

Although Hingis won here in 1997 and had been in two other Grand Slam finals this year, her experience wasn’t enough against the athleticism and touch of Williams. With Williams, it is always something of a wild ride: She had eight aces and 57 unforced errors.

Finally, she pulled herself together in a tense tiebreaker. At 4-4, Williams connected with a powerful forehand winner, aiming it down the line. On the next point, Hingis tried a lob and Williams chased it, urging and ordering the ball long. That set up the third match point and that was enough for Williams to complete the road from Compton to a championship.

“There comes a time where you have to stop caving,” she said, smiling. “I encourage all you guys to stop. You get tired. You just get so tired of having to just go down because of one simple problem.”

Venus Williams made her name by reaching her first and only Grand Slam final two years ago in New York, losing in straight sets to Hingis. Serena was waiting and watching from the sideline then, learning from her mother and older sister.

Her father may have taught her tennis as a child, but her confidence and fearlessness come from her mother, Oracene.

“I would say from my parents, my mom, she doesn’t fear anyone,” Serena said. “She’s always been a tough person like that.”

Even with the semifinal loss, Venus gave her younger sister an assist, tiring out Hingis in a grueling contest Friday.

“She was really down,” Serena said. “That really encouraged me to be even tougher out there, just to have to see her that down. I’ve never seen her that down before.”

Hingis knew it wouldn’t be easy, taking on the Sister Act.

“It was tough,” she said. “It’s like I said yesterday, I never beat both in the same tournament.”

The words were prophetic. And as it turned out, Serena knew a little something about the future when she was a kid growing up in Compton.

“It’s really amazing,” she said. “I mean, you totally prepare for this. I was always one to say, ‘I want to win the U.S. Open. I want it.’ Venus always wanted Wimbledon. I guess when she wins Wimbledon, she’s going to have the same feeling.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Women’s Final

The box score of No. 7 Serena Williams’ 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) victory over No. 1 Martina Hingis for the women’s singles championship of the U.S. Open:

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Williams Hingis First serve pct. 56 73 Aces 8 0 Double faults 3 1 Pct. 1st serve points won 63 65 Pct. 2nd serve points won 49 25 Winners (including service) 36 7 Unforced errors 57 24 Break points 4-10 3-10 Net points 14-23 6-10 Total points 87 81 Time of match 1:42

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