Serena Williams Faces Hefty Fine Over Line Judge Tirade

Serena Williams was destined to lose more than her temper and her US Open semi-final against Kim Clijsters as it emerged yesterday the No2 seeded American was facing a $10,000 (£6,000) fine after her profanity-laced tirade against a lines woman who called a foot fault against her.

Neither the player herself nor the tournament referee, Brian Earley, were prepared to reveal exactly what was said to the lines woman but the New York tabloids, which splashed the story across the back pages yesterday, were not so reticent. Suffice to say, it wasn't exactly ladylike: "I swear to God I'll fucking take the ball and shove it down your fucking throat." Even the combustible John McEnroe, who was commentating on the match for American television, was less than impressed, suggested that she should be suspended.

The player's mother Oracene Price was driven to say of her daughter: "She could have kept her cool." As for Williams herself, she was far from apologetic. She continued to abuse the lines women after her initial tirade, becoming enraged when it appeared she was being accused of threatening her physically, yelling "I did not threaten to kill you. Are you serious?."

Afterwards, she was unrepentant. "An apology from me? How many people yell at lines people? I see it happening all the time," she said, pointing out that when all was said and done she did finally accept the ruling. "I don't know how many times I have seen that happen. I am a professional. I'm not the beggar, like 'Please, please, please, let me have another chance' because it was the rules and I play by the rules."

The irony is that Williams, who had been comprehensively outplayed for most of the match, was playing her best tennis of the night when the trouble started. The 27-year-old's anger flared in the 12th game of the second set, with the American serving and Clijsters, already one set up, leading by six games to five and by 30-15. The lines women then called a foot fault on the second serve – a marginal call which TV pictures were unable to illuminate. It gave the Belgian two match points. Initially, Williams appeared to accept the call but before she could compose herself and serve again she turned, walked towards to the lines women and let rip. Having being warned earlier in the match for abusing her racket, she was then penalized a point, which gave the set and the match to Clijsters.

The unseeded Belgian, making her return to grand slam tennis after a two-year break from the game, progressed to yesterday's final against the no9 Caroline Wozniacki. Williams, meanwhile, went straight into the tennis hall of infamy.

Flushing Meadows is traditionally the rowdiest of grand slam venues – in 1979 a match between John McEnroe and Ilie Nastase ended in a near riot after the Romanian was initially defaulted, then reinstated and, finally, beaten in four sets. Saturday's flare-up wasn't quite on that scale but with officials reviewing the tapes it seemed certain Williams would be fined the maximum sum of $10,000. Even worse, she will forced to watch the video of her tantrum for years to come.