Agencies
Published 23:13 13 September 2009
Serena Williams was booted out of the US Open on Saturday after hurling threatening abuse at a lineswoman.
New York: Serena Williams was booted out of the US Open on Saturday after hurling threatening abuse at a lineswoman.
The incident marred the end of her semifinal loss to Kim Clijsters after the official had foot-faulted her to set up match point to the Belgian.
The title-holder and tournament favourite was 6-4, 6-5 and 15-30 down when the sanction was called against her on her second serve setting up match point for Clijsters.
She turned angrily to the lineswoman and shouted at her while stabbing her racquet in her direction.
According to reports she told her: "If I could, I would take this... ball and shove it down your... throat and kill you."
The lineswoman then ran up to umpire Louise Engzell to report the incident which brought tournament referee Brian Earley onto the court.
Williams again remonstrated with the lineswoman over her version of what had happened, at one point telling her "I never said I would kill you."
She then stormed off to the other side of the net to shake hands with Clijsters when she understood she had been penalised a point on match point for verbal abuse.
In yesterday's final, Clijsters was scheduled to face Danish teenager Caroline Wozniacki, who defeated unseeded and error-prone Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 6-3 6-3 in the other semi-final.
Williams, an 11-times Grand Slam winner, who has just brought out a autobiography ironically titled On the Line, said that she had never been in a fight in all her life and would never have threatened anyone.
"I said something that I guess they gave me a point penalty for. Unfortunately it was on match point," she said. "[But] I didn't threaten her. I don't remember any more, to be honest. I was in the moment. And, you know, everyone's fighting for every point. It was a really crucial point, 15-30, actually."
Williams had appeared edgy and uncomfortable throughout a match that had originally been scheduled for Friday afternoon but had been repeatedly delayed because of rain.
Results