You can take the woman out of Compton
You know the expression. I don’t have to complete it for you. And it will be one of the ways in which the manner in which Serena Williams lost the 2009 US Open semi-finals will always be understood. Some will say that Serena behaved like a thug when she raised her racket in a threatening manner towards the diminutive Asian lineswoman and was possibly overheard threatening to stuff the tennis ball down her throat.
So I won’t ever argue with people who claim that Serena behaved like a thug. All I will say is that that is only one way of looking at last night’s events. The other way involves appreciating the kind of tension that Serena was clearly under, not only last night, but for years. The tension that comes from repeatedly being treated unfairly.
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Comment by tennischick on September 16, 2009 at 5:07pm
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I think Rome stole my idea. :-)
That is essentially the point I made in the follow-up piece (titled Federer's cussing). Serena belatedly apologized bec it dawned on her or her handlers that she has a book to sell.
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Comment by Mark / The Mayor on September 16, 2009 at 4:42pm
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Jim Rome had a great take on the Serena apology that aligned perfectly with my view. I should google it - but essentially it said that she only apologized because her people told her to so that she could stop the free fall of her public image. It was insincere and also self complimentary.
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Hi TC - That Andrew guy was a spammer for some term paper website. They are persistent, but so am I!
M
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Thanks to everyone else for your comments. There's no one like Serena to spark interesting conversations!
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Hey Andrew:
Not sure what the heck you're trying to say. ALL of my writing is original. If you see my material anywhere I'd appreciate the alert so that I sue the plagiarists for copyright infringement. Thanks!
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It was a threat. People say, "oh just just dropped and f-bomb that is all." it's more than that because she actually threatened the lineswoman. For Mac and Connors, it was more like "you're a bum, you're blind" in my memory. Does anyone know if they said more than this. I really dont think this is a racial issue at all. However I do think Compton is relevant in a sense. If you are raised in a violent, aggressive society that could easily be reflected in your actions. But you look at Venus and there couldn't be a nicer person on tour (well, amybe Kim). :-)
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Comment by Meags on September 14, 2009 at 3:29am
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Tension yes, repeatedly treated unfairly sounds a bit like chip on the shoulder. Arrogance is what comes across to the viewer, remember she was the one at about 16 who said she could beat any man seeded 200+ and ended up with egg on her face.
She was out of order, even Johnny Mac was never that agressive. I understnd the tension, but rules are rules whether its match point or not.
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Comment by Kate M on September 13, 2009 at 5:23pm
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No, gesturing with a racquet towards someone is intimidating whether you're black or not. Plenty of players endure abuse: Amelie Mauresmo was told by Hingis that she was "half a man" and should not play in the women's tournament, because she's openly gay, Shahar Peer was denied the right to play in Dubai just because she was born an Israeli citizen, and neither of them have ever taken it out on a linesman.
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