Serena suffers meltdown, calls chair umpire a ‘ thief’
Naomi Osaka makes history with US Open win
New York, Sept. 9: Naomi Osaka became the first Japanese to win a Grand Slam singles title on Saturday as her idol Serena Williams angrily imploded, calling the chair umpire in the US Open final “a thief”.
Osaka, 20, triumphed 62, 6- 4 in the match marred by Williams’s second set outburst, the American enraged by umpire Carlos Ramos’s warning for receiving coaching from her box.
When a second code violation for racquet abuse was handed out to her — along with a point penalty — Williams exploded. She tearfully accused him of being a “thief” and angrily demanded an apology from the official.
“You’re attacking my character,” she said. “You will never, ever be on another court of mine. You are the liar,” she fumed and Ramos handed her a game penalty for a third violation — verbal abuse — that put Osaka one game from victory at 5- 3 in the second set. Williams won the next game, and continued her tearful remonstrations with a supervisor on the changeover. But Osaka — who displayed not
Osaka triumphed 6- 2, 6- 4 in the match marred by Williams’ second set outburst
only a stellar game but remarkable poise throughout — held serve to seal a historic win for her country. “It doesn’t really feel that real right now. Maybe in a few days I’ll realize what I’ve done,” said Osaka, adding that the noise was so great in Arthur Ashe Stadium and her focus so single- minded that she wasn’t fully aware of the escalating controversy.
2009: SEMIFINAL AGAINST KIM CLIJSTERS
Kim won the first set with Serena receiving a warning for racquet abuse as she vented her frustration. Serena was serving to force a tiebreaker at 5- 6 in the second set when she was called for a foot fault on a second serve, giving Clijsters double match point. Serena argued briefly, went back to the service line then directed a venomous rant at the offending lineswoman including a threat to “shove this ball down your throat.” The chair umpire assessed a point penalty for the outburst — giving Clijsters the match.
2011 : FINAL AGAINST SAMANTHA STOSUR
In the 2011 US Open final, chair umpire Eva Asderaki warned Serena for hindering opponent Stosur for shouting “come on” before the Australian had reached the ball. An angry Serena — who confused Asderaki with the umpire who was in the chair for the 2009 Clijsters match — verbally attacked her during the changeover. “If you ever see me walking down the hall, look the other way,” she said. “Because you’re out of control. Totally out of control. You’re a hater and you’re just ... unattractive inside. Who would do such a thing? And I never complain.”