Serena Williams, of the United States, speaks to reporters after losing her semifinals match to Kim Clijsters, of Belgium, at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009. Williams was involved in an argument with a line judge over a foot fault during the match.
Serena Williams, of the United States, left, talks to officials after arguing with a line judge over a foot fault during her match against Kim Clijsters, of Belgium, at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009. Clijsters defeated Williams in two sets.
The U.S. Open has fined Serena Williams $10,000 for her tirade directed at a line judge at the end of a semifinal loss to Kim Clijsters.
It's the maximum on-site fine a Grand Slam tennis tournament can issue for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The U.S. Open said Sunday the Grand Slam Committee Administrator has opened an investigation to determine whether Williams' behavior should be considered a "major offense," which can lead to additional penalties.
Williams also is being docked $500 for racket abuse in what became a 6-4, 7-5 loss Saturday night.
Williams earned $350,000 in prize money for reaching the singles semifinals. She also is scheduled to play in the women's doubles final Monday with her sister Venus.
The U.S. Open is reviewing Serena Williams' tirade at a line judge at the end of her semifinal loss to Kim Clijsters.
Tournament spokesman Chris Widmaier said Sunday that officials were watching tapes of what happened Saturday night. The tournament referee, Brian Earley, interviewed Williams and the match's chair umpire before they left the grounds Saturday.
With Williams serving, two points from defeat, a line judge called a foot fault on a second serve. That gave Clijsters a match point. Williams screamed, cursed and shook a ball in the official's direction. Williams was docked a point for unsportsmanlike conduct, ending the match.
After a 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 reportedly said, "If I could, I would take this . . . ball and . . . shove it down your throat."
Through a public relations agency, Williams released a statement Sunday that said, "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."
ESPN2 and CBS tennis analyst Mary Carillo called the fine "a joke," and suggested Williams shouldn't be allowed to play the doubles final. "She should be out. How can you let her play? That woman was threatened and humiliated."Williams earned $350,000 for her singles semifinal finish and can earn as much as $205,000 if she and her sister Venus win the women's doubles final today.
Pam Shriver, who is working for ESPN, said that one outcome of the incident might be a system in which foot-fault calls could be challenged and electronically reviewed.
"I think, after this, officials will find the need to address reviewing of foot faults," Shriver said. "I could see where, just like after the Serena-[Jennifer] Capriati match [in the 2004 Open] . . . ushered in the age of electronic line calls, this might usher in the age of the challenge of foot-fault calls."
-----------
----------
-----------
--------------
-------------
0 comments:
Post a Comment