Serena Williams' grip on the US Open title was dramatically broken at Flushing Meadows by a combination of the outstanding tennis produced by her semi-final opponent Kim Clijsters and the most untimely of interventions by a female baseline judge. Clijsters, who returned to the game only last month after a two-year absence, was on the verge of completing a remarkable straight-sets victory over the world No 2 and any hopes of a comeback ended suddenly as a result of a controversial foot fault call by the official.
It meant Williams, who had already received a code violation warning for racket abuse, moved from 15-30 to 15-40 in the 12th game of the second set to leave a confused Clijsters holding two match points. The Belgian did not need to convert either of them because Serena pressed the self-destruct button and aimed a verbal tirade at the line judge who immediately brought the attack to the attention of chair umpire Louise Engzell.
Engzell, who had cautioned the volatile Williams for smashing her racket at the end of the opening set, knew that any further sanction on the 11-time grand slam champion would have to be a point penalty which would end the match. She consulted referee Brian Earley and the WTA Tour supervisor Donna Kelso before confirming her decision. No "game set and match" announcement was made and the first indication to a half-full Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd was when Williams walked to Clijsters' side of the court to shake hands and concede a 6-4, 7-5 defeat.
Television replays, which suggested the foot fault call may have been harsh, failed to disclose what Serena said to the line judge but when the discussions were taking place with Engzell, the American was heard to protest: "I didn't say I would kill you - are you serious?" Serena was in the press interview room within a few minutes of her outburst but maintained that she could not remember what she had said to the official. "I said something and I guess they gave me a point penalty and unfortunately it was on match point," she said.
As for the "kill you" threat, Serena said: "I've never been in a fight in my whole life so I don't know why she would feel threatened. I'm clearly not happy. All this year I've never, never been foot-faulted and suddenly in this tournament they give me foot faults. I'm not saying I don't foot fault, but it was what it was all about." The referee Earley stressed that he had not disqualified Williams. "It was not a default, it was a point penalty that happened to be given on match point. It was her second code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct."
The controversy took the shine off a fantastic victory for Clijsters who belied all expectations to set up the summit clash with Caroline Wozniacki. The ninth-seeded Dane Wozniacki had ended hopes of an all-Belgian final by defeating Yanina Wickmayer 6-3, 6-3 in the other semi-final. Clijsters, making her first appearance at Flushing Meadows since winning her only previous grand slam title there in 2005, was initially unaware of what was happening. "I was trying to stay focused and was facing the other way," she said. "I saw Serena talking to the linesman, but I was too far way to hear what she was saying so I can't really comment."
The victory left Clijsters on the verge of becoming the first mother to claim a major title since Evonne Goolagong-Cawley won Wimbledon in 1980. She and Wozniacki, who has never gone beyond the fourth round of a grand slam, were due on court late last night after the delayed men's semi-finals. Rafael Nadal's clash with Juan Martin Del Potro was scheduled to open the "Super Sunday" programme with the defending champion and Roger Federer then taking on Novak Djokovic.
wjohnson@thenational.ae