Posted on 09/13/2009 4:45:56 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Reporting from New York - Serena Williams will be fined $10,500 for behavior deemed "unsportsmanlike conduct," and also for racket abuse after her obscenity-filled and aggressive reaction to a critical foot fault called during her 6-4, 7-5 U.S. Open semifinal loss to Kim Clijsters on Saturday night.
There will also be further investigation of the incident according to a statement released by the U.S. Open, "The Grand Slam rule book also allows for an investigation to be conducted by the Grand Slam Committee Administrator to determine if the behavior of Ms. Williams warrants consideration as a Major Offence for which additional penalties can be imposed. This investigation has now begun."
Williams earned $350,000 for her singles semifinal finish.
After an unidentified lineswoman called a foot fault on a second serve which gave Williams a double fault and put her a point away from the loss, Williams approached the lineswoman, shook a tennis ball in the direction of the woman's face and threatened to shove the ball down the women's throat.
Because Williams had already received a warning after breaking her racket at the end of the first set, her actions in confronting the lineswoman resulted in another code violation and a penalty point. That point was match point and gave Clijsters the win.
Through a public relations agency, Williams said Sunday, "Last night everyone could truly see the passion I have for my job. Now that I have had time to gain my composure I can see that while I don't agree with the unfair line call in the heat of battle I let my passion and emotion get the better of me and as a result handled the situation poorly."
Serena and her sister Venus will play the women's doubles final today,
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
That would be me. I should be in charge of the decision.
That pretty well settles it. Thanks for providing that. Maybe the whiners will get off their wayward “Poor Serena” bandwagon now, or at least STFU with their claim that she got a raw deal.
See post #87. The rule is plain as day and Serena admitted she stepped on the line.
Get over it.
Yeah. She could take out most anybody if she shoved a ball down his throat and a racket up his ass and killed him.
Or sat on him.
Except for ostammer’s BS, I haven’t heard a more narcissistic and self-serving load of manure in years, if ever.
When she said she was going to shove some balls down the judge’s throat, was she reaching under her tutu?
Here is the best I can make out on what Serena said...
Quote “I swear to God I’ll F’ing take this ball and shove it down your F’ing throat! Ok? I swear to god you are dead. You are F’ing dead.” /EndQuote
Judge for yourself...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oA792DGT2E
Unfortunately the powers that be have not shown the camera angle that helps determine this. We all have seen the imaginary lines they draw on football fields and tennis matches used in replays and such, but for some reason the press has not (to my knowledge) released such footage here. Just like they have not released her full dialog (I posted it the best I could in my previous comment). They are protecting something, as a Freeper I guess you know network agendas by now.
As a former tennis player, I have had many foot faults called against me. You try to get every little advantage you can and the closer you are the better your odds. Touching the line even a little bit is a foot fault and it is not hard to slip up and do it. Now in the future are we teaching line judgemen to shut up and take it or to tell it like they see it. One puts you at risk being called a racist and I am sure now future linemen will be just a little more careful to not dare risk being put through the ringer. Serena perhaps just lowered the professionalism of pro tennis IMHO. The race card is a powerful tool.
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