NEW YORK — Her doubles championship brought some closure Monday to what has been an awkward, tumultuous U.S. Open for Serena Williams.
Time to celebrate. Time to move on. Maybe even time to make amends with the line judge she unloaded on during that ugly finish to her semifinal loss two nights ago.
“I would like to give her a big ol’ hug,” Williams said.
Williams and sister Venus teamed up for a 6-2, 6-2 victory over defending champions Cara Black and Liezel Huber to win their 10th Grand Slam doubles title, and first at Flushing Meadows since 1999. Not surprisingly, the sisters answered very few questions about doubles when it was over.
During a post-match interview on the court, ESPN2’s Patrick McEnroe prodded Serena about her profane outburst at the end of her loss to Kim Clijsters and its aftermath. Williams had issued an apology shortly before the doubles match, saying she is “a woman of great pride, faith and integrity, and I admit when I’m wrong.”
It was a more contrite statement than the one she released the day before — when she was socked with a $10,000 fine for acting in a “threatening manner,” according to tournament director Jim Curley.
Federer uses profanity
NEW YORK — Serena Williams isn’t the only Grand Slam champion using profanity at the U.S. Open: Roger Federer let an expletive fly, too.
In an uncharacteristic display, Federer argued with chair umpire Jake Garner during a changeover in the U.S. Open final Monday. He said his opponent, Juan Martin del Potro, was given too much time to challenge a line call.
The 15-time major champion used profanity in addressing Garner: “Don’t tell me to be quiet, OK? When I want to talk, I talk. I don’t give a (expletive) what he said.”
CBS microphones picked up the exchange during its live broadcast of the match.
“It’s regrettable, of course,” CBS spokeswoman LeslieAnne Wade said. “But it’s a part of the live coverage of sports events.”
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