By April MacIntyre Sep 13, 2009, 15:53 GMT
Serena Williams behavior on Saturday night forfeited her chances for taking the Open semi-final, and allowed competitor Kim Clijsters to moved forward to the finals Sunday.
Tournament referee Brian Earley (R) talks with Serena Williams of the US (L) and a line judge (C) after Williams pointed her racquet at the line judge and shouted at her after being called for a foot fault as she played Kim Clijsters of Belgium in their semifinal match at the 2009 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 12 September 2009. The action resulted in a point penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct which immediately ended the match. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO
Williams' problems started in the first set, when she reportedly slammed her racket onto the court and broke it when she lost 6-4.
She received her first code warning.
When Williams was trailing 6-5 in the second set, and with Clijsters close to victory, Williams was called for a foot-fault on her second serve. As you can see in the video posted below, Williams did not appreciate the call and stormed at the line judge who had made the call, with her racket extended.
Williams reportedly used obscenities at the female judge. Sports Illustrated reporter SL Price claimed she said, "You better f------ be right."
The foot fault put Williams at match point. The video shows that the abusive behavior toward the line judge became Williams' second code warning of the night. Williams had to walk away and hand the semifinal to Clijsters for the win.
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