Stephens Wins Style Points; Williams Wins Match Serena Williams takes her losses very seriously, and her memory is long. Consider how Maria Sharapova has fared against Serena in the last several years, since Sharapova beat Williams in the Wimbledon final. In last year's Olympic final, Sharapova barely got one game in a drubbing on Centre Court. Like any great champion, Serena Williams hates to lose, and she shows up to play anyone with a recent win over her with a steely eyed resolve that makes her even more formidable. Williams defeated Stephens, her young rival and heir apparent, 6-4, 6-1. Stephens hit the flashy winners, but Williams prevailed with superior discipline, will and tactical acumen. If you took the 10 most entertaining points of the match, Stephens won seven or eight of them, but Williams won the vast majority of unremarkable points, moving herself point by point toward a demonstrative victory. One of the IBM "Keys to the Match" gave the edge to the player who won the most four- to nine-shot rallies. Stephens won a slightly higher percentage of these points, but where Serena dominated was in the one- to three-shot rallies. To use a football analogy, Stephens made quite a few big plays, often hitting an incredible winner when down a break point, but Williams moved the chains with solid, nuts-and-bolts tennis. She won the line-of-scrimmage points over and over. Williams was impeccable on her impeccable service game, but also returned with a high-percentage, unflashy shot deep down the middle. On the first shot after her serve or return, Williams made very few mistakes. She gave Stephens very few gifts, or free points. Stephens's strategy was to attack the Williams forehand, long considered her weaker side. But Williams's forehand is perhaps the most improved shot in the women's game. Her backhand is still her main weapon off the ground, but she can rip forehands and stay in points much longer than she could a year ago. She went toe to toe with Stephens in several scintillating rallies, and her consistency and strength of shot frustrated Stephens, who was caught off guard several times by Williams crosscourt forehands on the run. In many ways, this victory shows Williams's continuing maturation. Rather than try to outhit and outplay her young opponent, Williams played with a controlled aggression and an emotional containment that was impressive to watch. Williams wanted this win very badly, and she executed her game plan flawlessly. Her approach to this match showed how seriously Williams takes Stephens as a competitor, and in her gracious post-match comments to Mary Joe Fernandez she spoke of Stephens as the bright future of American tennis. But not until Williams is gone from the scene.