Posted on 09/13/2009 4:56:25 AM PDT by SkyPilot
Serena Williams, of the United States, argues with a line judge over a foot fault call during her match against Kim Clijsters, of Belgium, at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009. Clijsters beat Williams in 2 sets. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
NEW YORK -- Serena Williams walked toward the line judge, screaming, cursing and shaking a ball in the official's direction, threatening to "shove it down" her throat.
On match point in the U.S. Open semifinals Saturday night, defending champion Williams was penalized a point for unsportsmanlike conduct -- a bizarre, ugly finish that gave a 6-4, 7-5 upset victory to unseeded, unranked Kim Clijsters.
The match featured plenty of powerful groundstrokes and lengthy exchanges. No one will remember a single shot that was struck, though, because of the unusual, dramatic way it ended.
With Williams serving at 5-6, 15-30 in the second set, she faulted on her first serve. On the second serve, a line judge called a foot fault, making it a double-fault -- a call rarely, if ever, seen at that stage of any match, let alone the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament.
That made the score 15-40, putting Clijsters one point from victory.
Instead of stepping to the baseline to serve again, Williams went over and shouted and cursed at the line judge, pointing at her and thrusting the ball toward her.
"If I could, I would take this ... ball and shove it down your ... throat," Williams said.
(Excerpt) Read more at ktvu.com ...
i LOVE bon qui qui, she is full on hilarious, and totally realistic!
She was thinking “ I hope security can hold that crazy bitch back so I can get my rear end outta here”
There's no excuse for threatening an official, even if she did blow the call. Argue, sure...insult...maybe...threaten? no way. That should be on-the-spot-expulsion from the tournament, not simply a one point penealty. She should also be suspended from the next tournament she's signed up for. And a physical threat against someone half your size and unarmed while you're holding a weapon.....real tough honey.
Exhibit A of the entitlement demographic.
Break the rules and then demand and threaten.
That goes to what I said about the US Open being a show rather than a sporting event.
That said, I think she handled herself quite well. You obviously have a different opinion, which is okay.
ML/NJ
the materal writes itselves sometime. People need to laugh or we run the risk of being liberals.
Man! You guys are really something. At no time that I observed did Serena Williams ever do anything that could remotely be thought of as menacing. Yeah. She lost her cool. It's probably a good thing most of you never got to see/hear Leo Durocher get excited.
ML/NJ
This is why nobody cares about chick sports.
I must disagree...mud wresting chicks is always an enjoyable sport to watch....or join.
I was very surprised watching the tournament that they actually play music between games I hope that we do not follow suit with this at Wimbledon.
If you know WHEN the tests will be, you can allow time between the usage and the test for your system to get cleaned up so you can pass. Timing is everything.
There's always a Williams sister having some problem or another that keeps them from playing in (or being tested for) this or that tournament. (Convenient, huh?)
Meanwhile they hit like Pete Sampras and are muscled like men.
OK, that one...and roller derby. But none other. Want to watch two seven foot anorexics play beach volleyball? I’d rather go to a real beach and watch girls with curves play. even when they miss a shot it’s more entertaining.
Fair enough, we definitely disagree on this! I thought Serena’s body language and approach to the line judge while shaking her racket (and cursing) only a few feet away was extremely threatening. She could have completely snapped and started beating her, she was so enraged.
In a previous game, same match, Serena forced her racket with such continuous pressure against the court that she burst the glass fiber reinforced graphite racket into a million pieces, On the same line and possibly the same judge.
Now go back and watch the overhead shots of Serena threatening the judge. She walked a distance placing her closer to the judge than where she was serving from on the court nearest the judge, then began shaking her racket at the judge, while mouthing profane comments at the judge in reaction to the judges call.
Replay the incident. Serena paused after the call.
She could have considered she might have made an error and the judge called her fault. Considering she is that close to the baseline, had she had any sense of conscientiousness, her response wouldn’t have been to accuse, let alone threaten the judge, it would have been to correct her own play.
Everything after that pause is merely one bad decision after another, reinforcing her wrong line of thinking, unable to control her own sportsmanship. She didn’t respect legitimate authority of the line judge, the umpire, or even a commissioner, and unfairly to her opponent, none of them had the guts to enforce their legitimate authority, while Serena stormed over anybody who didn’t let her get her way. Serena doesn’t even respect the legitimate authority of the laws of physics as she intentionally breaks her graphite racket into a million pieces and throws it away when she walks away from the tennis commissioner.
Serena manifest criminal intent, behavior and thinking in something as benign as a tennis match.
Serena’s behavior was threatening enough for both civil and criminal charges to have been filed. Many states consider a tennis racket to qualify as a weapon when used against the body of another. She knew what she was doing. She isn’t a junior high school amateur. She’s been in similar threatening situations before. All the more reason to throw the book at her.
Sadly, this may enhance here career.
I feel sorry for her, here’s a nickle.
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.
Ok, that one...and roller derby...etc....
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Ah, a blast from the past...”ROLLER DERBY”....
That and an occasional ‘shot’ of Gussie Moran’s bloomers were the only thing other than a pirated edition of Playboy were the big ‘joys’ for the young lads of the mid 50’s....
Hell, wasn’t even allowed to see “From Here to Eternity” when it first came out...’53, being a member in good standing of the ‘Catholic Community’ and the auspicies of the “Code of Decency”....
One can measure character and virtue from the behavior of those playing the sports. Kim had virtue. Serena lacked virtue.
Serena wanted to win at any cost. Kim felt cheated even when declared the winner, because she didn’t win for her excellence.
One of the first lessons of sportsmanship is never to rejoice in winning by the loss of an opponent, but only by one’s accomplishment.
Had Serena held that thinking, she wouldn’t have reacted to the line fault by attacking the judge, but by thanking the judge, working to improve her own game, and thankful she might not have won the play by an illegitimate serve.
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