Posted on 09/13/2009 3:31:45 AM PDT by reaganaut1
Serena Williams became unhinged in a shocking display of vitriol and profanity toward a line judge at the most inopportune time Saturday night — right before match point for Kim Clijsters in the semifinals of the United States Open.
In a matter of confusing minutes, Williams turned what had been a scintillating women’s match into an ugly and improbable spectacle that gave Clijsters, an unseeded wild-card entry making a joyful return to Grand Slam tennis, a 6-4, 7-5 victory she could not even celebrate.
Clijsters, a 26-year-old from Belgium who is the mother of a toddler, had frustrated and dominated Williams all night. After Clijsters won the first set, Williams slammed her racket to the court twice, mangling the frame in disgust. She walked to her chair, whacking the net with her racket on the way, and earned a warning for racket abuse.
Clijsters stayed composed. She had a 6-5 lead in the second set, and Williams was serving to send the set into a tiebreaker. At 15-30, a lineswoman called Williams for a foot fault on her second serve. Williams argued angrily, then walked back to the baseline. But she could not let it rest. She approached the judge and appeared to threaten her, shaking a ball in her face, according to reporters courtside and television replays.
The chair umpire, Louise Engzell of Sweden, asked the lineswoman to approach and explain what happened. Engzell then assessed Williams a point penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, with Brian Earley, the tournament referee, in agreement.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
She’s a thug from a family of thugs!
I feel sorry for Clijsters, who didn't deserve to have to win through a forfeit.
I think Venus has a little humility...not Serena...she takes after her dad for sure....glad Kim moves on...she seems sweet.
The initial foot fault that began the fireworks was a terrible call. It was unconscionable. It cannot be made at the end of any match, let alone in the semifinals of the U.S. Open. This isn't because a foot fault is a ridiculous call at that juncture (even though it is). It's because it wasn't a foot fault. The replays show that Serena's foot was behind the line when she served. You could make the argument that it was close but not close enough to make the call.
http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/blog/busted_racquet/post/Serena-Williams-berates-official-loses-match-fo;_ylt=AiH3kzfAsLkUk9HGO7B29Yo4v7YF?urn=ten,189028
Roid Rage????
Good point. I recently read that the Raiders have signed Serena to play running back this season.
What she actually said was
“If I could, I would shove this “F””King ball down your F””king throat, you got that” and then proceeded to scream and abuse the poor woman.
This after smashing her racket in the first set and then picking it up, smashing it again for effect completely mangling it.
Thats when she got the first big warning and then decided to get all uppity at match point which was stupidity or did she decide to muddy Clijsters win by getting herself kicked out.
Question: What did you say?
Answer: What did I say? You didn’t hear? Oh.
Q. Do you think the lineswoman had any reason to feel threatened. Apparently she says she felt threatened?
A. She says she felt threatened. She said this to you?
Q. I’m just repeating what has been said that she told the chair umpire.
A. Well, I’ve never been in a fight in my whole life, so I don’t know why she would be threatened.
Q. Do you regret losing your temper both after the first set and after the foot fault?
A. I haven’t really thought about it to have any regrets. I try to — I’ve done — you know, I try to not live my life saying, I wish, I wish. But, you know, I was out there and fought and I tried and I did my best.
Q. You’ve always prided yourself on being an extremely forthright player, and with us here in the press room. Could you tell us what you said on the court, please?
A. I don’t think that’s necessary for me to speak about that. I’ve let it go, and I’m trying to better — to, you know, to get — to move on.
Q. Do you think the lineswoman deserves an apology?
A. An apology for?
Q. From you.
A. From me?
Q. Would you be interested to see if you actually foot faulted?
A. I’m pretty sure I did. If she called a foot fault, she must have seen a foot fault. I mean, she was doing her job. I’m not going to knock her for not doing her job.
Yeah, let's forget line calls too. And lets. And double faults.
What a puerile argument.
Serena has always been a classless thug. Much like Obama.
That’s a man, brother.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2336835/posts
She needs to get checked out.
Such a class lady that Serena and what a temper.
Rev. Al, Rev. Jesse, better hurry! Racism shakedown possibilities at the Open!
Her little remark in an interview last week, “maybe i could come back faster if i had a baby” was it for me....Kim Clijsters or anyone doesn’t deserve an assy remark like that....they didn’t fall far from the tree....and yeah, like Serena, i’m forthright and keeping it “real”...whatever that means.
LOL...Yeah...the new slogan will be “Just Win Baby...Girl”
BTW, Regarding Serena William’s foot fault ( a seldom called violation ). Here are the rules for those interested :
The server must stand behind the baseline, between the centre mark and the sideline.
A ‘foot fault’ is called if any of the following happens before the ball is struck:
# The feet touch the ground inside the baseline
# The feet touch the wrong side of the centre mark OR
# The feet touch the wrong side of the imaginary extension of the sideline.
A foot fault is the same as a fault on a serve so the player is given the chance of a second serve.
According to the BBC, IT WAS A FOOT FAULT.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A57048735
I´ve seen some posters questioning the line judges call on Serena’s footfault. But is was very clear that it was in the replay. She stepped firmly on the line and part of the foot was inside the baseline before hitting the ball
This was her second of the match.
It was really unfortunate, she still had a chance to turn the match (though her outburst showed that she had lost it emotionally anyway).
Kim was the better player until that point though and was growing in confidence with every point. And it was a great match to watch ... except for the sorry ending.
It's "seldom called" because players don't do it. They know the rules. Serena thinks she's above the rules.
A down trodden Black woman cheated again by the White man.
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