Posted on 09/13/2009 3:38:59 PM PDT by traumer
This was the dramatic moment when Serena Williams screamed her way out of the U.S. Open.
TV viewers around the world saw the irate Wimbledon champion launch a threatening, profanity-laced tirade at a female line judge after being called for a foot fault.
'If I could, I would take this f****** ball and shove it down your f****** throat,' she reportedly said.
The diminutive lineswoman reported her words to the umpire, who called in the tournament referee at Flushing Meadows in New York.
With the crowd booing, Miss Williams could be heard on the court microphone pleading with the lineswoman, saying: 'I didn't say I would kill you. Are you serious? I didn't say that.'
But her extraordinary outburst meant she was docked a point on match point, handing a semi-final victory to bemused Belgian opponent Kim Clijsters in one of the ugliest-ever endings to a major sports match.
Miss Williams had already received a warning for smashing a racquet, so the next sanction was a penalty point for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Not since John McEnroe was defaulted in the Australian Open in 1990 for swearing at the umpire has a top player made such an ignominious exit from such a high-profile match.
It happened when, with the 27-year-old American serving at 5-6 and 15-30 in the second set, she faulted on her first serve.
On her second serve, the line judge declared a foot fault, a call rarely, if ever, seen at that stage of a match.
That made the score 15-40, putting Miss Clijsters one point from a place in the final.
Miss Williams stormed over to the line judge, cursing and shaking her racquet, pointing at her and thrusting a ball in her face.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
The call may have been a petty one and looked too close to call—nevertheless Serena has to control herself in that situation. All the other crap about race/ethnicity not applicable nor who can judge the intentions. Just a bad call by a line judge. Whatever.....it’s tennis!
Magnificent!!
More like separated at birth!
I'm on Serena's side on this one. The line judge made made a bad call. So, keep in mind this incident would never have happened if she (line judge)had not screwed up. Also, while I did not watch every match played, it appears to me that Serena has been singled out on this particular call as I don't recall it being made against anyone else. Lastly, Serena is an American and it really grates on me the way the audience was cheering for Clijsters who by the way is Belgian. Nothing against Kim, probably a real nice persona and all that. I just believe in pulling for America and Americans. Btw, where's The Reverend Jackson and Al Sharpton when we need them? I catch a whiff of racism in this....
How could you possibly know it was a bad call? Were you sitting on the baseline watching Williams' feet?
You, too, are WAY out of line and ought to be ashame of yourself for making such an ignorant statement! Who the hell gave you the authority to speak for all asians?
Yes, those crackers at the Daily Mail probably made the whole thing up, didn't they.
NO class-—just trash.
It's the bad behavior people remember about celebrities. Ego driven tirades are replayed over and over and over again. Michael Vick, for example, will be the butt of dog jokes for a long time to come. Waiting for the perpetual RACISM card to be raised......
“Keepin’ it real, gettin’ in their faces, calling them out ... “
Wait. Why hate ‘blacks’, instead of some people who happen to be black? Hey, I’m as white as they come, freckles and blue eyes and all, but I was hurt and humilated and threatened, by some black girls when I was much younger and was simply going to the bathroom in school. And I don’t hate blacks, I don’t judge everyone of dark skin because of that incident. And yes, it was race based because they were going to ‘beat me like a white person should be beat like the way they did the black on Roots’. I was 11 years old, probably 4’6” and about 75lbs. But I just think they were ignorant people.
The only one to blame for this incident is Serena Williams, who should have pulled herself together and behaved with some class, whether she agreed with the call or not.
The thing with Obama and ‘identity politics’ is the MSM and liberal hacks made just a fuss about the first ‘black’ president. The thorn with that ‘rose’ is that this president is an awful clunker and those who bond with him because of his partial blackness is that they get identified also with him when he screws up which is often
and just like the OJ Simpson trial those blacks are bonded by the loyalty rather than the facts of the man’s character!
As I mentioned earlier, my background is asian. Incredible amount of prejudice from my perspective....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.