TENNIS in DEPTH.

Brave Australian Samantha Stosur rekindled the finest traditions of her country’s tennis to win the US Open as Serena Williams again disgraced herself at Flushing Meadows. The 27 year-old Queenslander ignored the distraction of another shocking tirade at officialdom from Williams to score an upset 6-2, 6-3 victory and secure her first Grand Slam title. Two years on from her notorious threat to kill a lineswoman in the same Arthur Ashe Stadium, the American lost her self-control at the start of the second set and harangued Greek umpire Eva Asderaki for making a perfectly correct call. The trouble started when Williams hit a forehand drive and, before Stosur had made a vain lunge to get a racket frame on the ball, she shouted ‘Come on!’.

Asderaki rightly gave the point to Stosur under the ‘hindrance’ rule, sparking a tide of abuse from the strong favourite that earned an official warning and went on during two further changeovers.

Bookmark It