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 ...
Cheap!
Cheap!
Obviously the small Asian woman wasn’t so sure.
You should read the rules. You are NOT allowed to step on the line. Her left foot was on the line.
Your original post reflected an attitude with words that many on the left could easily point to as, “See, we're right!” I don't think we should give them that opportunity.
But, I wouldn't want to censor you, either. Go for it.”
LOL OK , We all watched some hotties like Anna Kournikova for one (they look like woman) with no attitudes THEN we have this So guess I should just accept the extreme bad Behavior; after I am a bad blue eyed white man and responsible for ALL the worlds Ills ans shortcomings Go quietly and bear my cross of shame.
Whatever is done, it’s going to have to be done by someone who doesn’t mind being called a racist.
The Rules of Tennis
The Singles Game
8. Foot Fault
The Server shall throughout the delivery of the Service: a. Not change his position by walking or running. The Server shall not by slight movement of the feet which do not materially affect the location originally taken up by him, be deemed "to change his position by walking or running".
b. Not touch, with either foot, any area other than that behind the base-line within the imaginary extensions of the centre-mark and side-lines.
USTA Comment: The key to understanding this rule is to realize that the Server's feet must be at rest immediately before beginning to serve. Immediately thereafter, the delivery of the service begins with any arm or racket motion, and ends when the racket contacts the ball (or misses the ball in attempt to strike it).
If either foot touches the Court, including the baseline, or the imaginary extension of a line specified in Rule 8b. after his feet are at rest but before he strikes the ball, he has committed a foot fault.
There can be no foot fault if the Server does not attempt to strike at the ball. As long as the Server makes no attempt to strike at the ball, it is immaterial whether he catches it in his hand or his racket or lets it drop to the ground.
USTA Comment: This rule covers the most decisive stroke in the game, and there is no justification for its not being obeyed by players and enforced by officials. No official has the right to instruct any umpire to disregard violations of it. In a non-officiated match, the Receiver, or his partner, may call foot faults after all efforts (appeal to the server, request for an umpire, etc.) have failed and the foot faulting is so flagrant as to be clearly perceptible from the Receiver's side. It is improper for any official to warn a player that he is in danger of having a foot fault called on him. On the other hand, if a player asks for an explanation of how he foot faulted, either the Line Umpire or the Chair Umpire should give him that information.
Fair enough. I didn’t see that, but I take your word for it.
Those are your words, not mine.
“Go quietly and bear my cross of shame.
Those are your words, not mine.”
LMAO Hard to type when I am Laughing.
YOU have it wrong. It was not a foot fault, and even if a Ref thought it was borderline, you CANNOT call such a thing at such a time. Every Ref knows that. The little bitch who did has no place judging Grand Slam. However I also think Serena should pay HUGE for what she did.
You are correct. As long as your feet start behind the line, one could jump to within a foot of the net and then hit the serve. If your foot makes contact with the line or beyond it before you make contact with the ball with your racket, then it is a foot fault.
This thing about it being the wrong point of the match to call a foot fault is the craziest argument that I have ever heard. The whole point of the rule is to prevent the server from gaining an unfair advantage, regardless the current state of the match.
Oh that is just soooooooo yesterday. You must get with the program. It's like the Constitution ... it's a "living breathing rulebook". We picks and chooses from the rulebook, what we likes when we likes it.
Intimidation is to coerce or inhibit by threats or to fill with fear. That she did.
Really. Can't find that reference although some blogs about getting a google hit.
Palmer tossed his over the Gallery in 1946 at the Western Pennsylvania Junior.
That was before he turned pro. Your post referenced pros.
Ripken (you didn’t specify Sr. or Jr., so I chose Sr. ‘cause I remember a radio interview where he was fuming :)) How can you forget his tirade, on air, in 87? He lost it, he was screaming...”people who don’t agree with the move didn’t know the game and don’t care to learn it.” yadda-tadda-yadda.
But no cursing and approaching the ump with a bat held in his hand making verbal threats.
Dale Murphy, I’ll have to call his family,,,LOL
:)
It was obvious that she was trying to ace the second serve since she knew she couldn't win the second serve on a return. They should have been calling foot faults on her all along. Sort of like how they allow the big stars to travel in baskeball.
Even Serena, after reviewing, agreed it was a foot fault. Of course, since she is a big star and was losing, we should give her an advantage and not enforce the rules on her.
One:)She deserved it, two:) they will just take it out of her winnings, she won’t have a choice. The news media today are leaving out one of the most important things she said and you could hear it on some of the tapes played yesterday. Her full sentance, the first one, was “If I f**** could I would shove this f**** ball down your throat and kill you!”. They keep leaving the kill you part out. Then she went on to say she was going to shove her racket up the judges a**. I guess you don’t think she did any thing wrong though.
Hi, - I was referring to her weight, not her talent. The Williams sisters are gifted, if hefty, athletes.
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