Serena Williams was….
Down a set and facing a break point in the first game of the second, the 13-time major champion hit a forehand and shouted, ”Come on!” as Samantha Stosur reached down for a backhand. Chair umpire Eva Asderaki ruled that Williams hindered Stosur’s ability to complete the point and awarded it to Stosur — putting her ahead 1-0 in that set…
Williams went over to talk to Asderaki, saying, ”I’m not giving her that game.”
Williams also said: ”I promise you, that’s not cool. That’s totally not cool.”
Some fans began booing, delaying the start of the next game as both players waited for the commotion to subside.
Tournament director Brian Earley said Asderaki’s ruling was proper.
But Williams had trouble putting the whole episode behind her.
During the changeover two games later, Williams continued to talk to Asderaki, saying, ”You’re out of control. … You’re a hater, and you’re just unattractive inside. … And I never complain. Wow.”…..
Williams also told the official: ”Really, don’t even look at me.”
When Stosur wrapped up the match with a forehand winner, Williams refused the customary post-match handshake with the chair umpire.
”I hit a winner, but I guess it didn’t count,” Williams said during the trophy presentation. ”It wouldn’t have mattered in the end. Sam played really well.”
This sort of thing has happened before at the US Open to Williams, who won the tournament in 1999, 2002 and 2008.
In the 2009 semifinals against Kim Clijsters, Williams was called for a foot-fault that set her off on a profanity-laced outburst at a line judge. Williams lost a point there, and because it came on match point, Clijsters won. That led to an immediate $10,000 fine from the U.S. Tennis Association and later a record $82,500 fine from the Grand Slam administrator, who also put Williams on a ”probationary period” at Grand Slam tournaments in 2010 and 2011.
A poor call during Williams’ 2004 U.S. Open quarterfinal loss to Jennifer Capriati was cited as a main reason for the introduction of replay technology in tennis.