Come now and let us reason together!
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 ...
She said the words. Also she was already losing. After the first set she broke her racket on the court. First Offense. In the second set she was down in the tie-breaker and faulted on the first serve. She couldn't win second serves against her opponent so the foot-fault on the second serve really didn't really matter. She would have lost anyway.
Doesn't look like anything special to me either. kinda chunky/butchy in my opinion, with the beginnings formation of "thunder thighs" going on
I witnessed Serena Williams in all her glory (?) on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills awhile back. It was an ordinary Saturday afternoon. She came lumbering down the sidewalk, with her dog, and her minions running along beside her.
The woman (?) was totally loud and obnoxious. Passersby literally stopped and stared in disbelief and many needed a minute to even figure out who (or what) she was. Might steroids be to blame? When she first came on the tennis scene, she did not look like this.
As for comparisons to McEnroe, despite his years of whining and crying et al, I do not think for one second that anyone EVER felt physically threatened by him. He was bratty and obnoxious but certainly no one to fear.
I am not shocked by what transpired at the tournament.
I think Serena and MoBama would get along...infact, they kind of look like sisters!
Serena said she foot-faulted. She was just upset that she was losing and had missed the first serve and now had to 'ace' the second, which she would not have done.
What was her excuse for breaking her racket after losing the first set?
If she thought the ref made a bad call, the proper way to deal with it is challenge her call with the judges, not threaten to shove a f-ing ball down her throat.
There's simply no excuse for that kind of behavior AT ALL, no matter if the ref made a bad call or not. This wouldn't have happened had Serena had some proper upbringing and manners.
get real.
The Belgium is a better American than Serena. After Obama’s drawing of 95 percent plus of the Colored vote I’m not pulling for anybody that talks jive. Serena said she wished she could vote for Obama but her Jehova’s Witness background was a factor. She didn’t seem so religious when she shot off her mouth at the line judge.
Kim is a mom! Kim is polite. And yes Kim is White which is not a problem for me at all.
It’s the acorn model.
She looks like a linebackers for the Bears!
I feel badly for her. She did take full responsibility for her outburst and made no excuses. She shook her opponent’s hand. I do not know enough about tennis but refs make bad calls in any sport.
The Williams sisters are still amazing athletes and role models. Her behavior on the court on this occasion was a bad moment. There will be other matches. Time to move on.
I saw the replay a few times, and yes, she did say the quote that is attributed to her in this article. For someone of her age and experience, she should have been able to control her emotions a little better.
The irony of the situation is that the foot fault is the easiest of all calls to make in tennis. The tennis player never truly knows if their foot touches the white line or not. From practice and experience, the player learns what they must do not to commit a foot fault. I anticipate that this is going to result in a camera being placed on the end line so that these calls can be reviewed.
Her abuse of the footfault judge went above and beyond what should be tolerated and the assessment of a point penalty was clearly warranted. Coming at double match point was a most unfortunate circumstance.
Just know many many many asians. If you don’t think most asians are prejudiced against other ethnic groups then you’re crazy....
Perhaps it was roid rage?
When was it she took full responsibility? Was that today?
Come now and let us reason together!
Such class!
What is it with so many women using foul language these days?
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