Serena Williams has etiquette issues

And she doesn't seem to get it. Rather, she seems to be convinced that the umpire has something against her.

Here is the set up. Williams, in the process of losing to 9th Seeded Samantha Sosur in the U.S Open finals, tries to psyche herself up in the 2nd game of the second set.

So she hits a strong forehand attack shot and as Sosur attempts to make a return, Williams screams out "Come On!".

And yes, while there are far worse things she could have done, it is a huge etiquette violation and as we found out shortly after, it cost her a point. And we later found it, it cost Williams, her composure..again.

Watch the video here. After she drags out the argument with the umpire, she goes back to playing, only at the 3:00 mark, do we hear her really start going all in on the woman in the umpire chair saying some not-so-nice things about her.

Your video is right here, take a look:

Andy Roddick blows a gasket and compares Tennis to the WWE

Andy Roddick

It was a rough night we guess for the former hope of American tennis Andy Roddick.

Roddick, trying to come back from an oblique injury, faced off with Philip Kohlschreiber at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati and didn't do so well.

In fact at one point, after he had already destroyed a racquet, he got pissed off and smacked a tennis ball deep into the stands. That cost him a point, which cost him a game and put him deep enough in a hole that he never recovered. Kohlscrheiber won in 3 sets.

Roddick was apparently somewhat conciliatory in his post game press conference, admitting he lost his cool. He however didn't like that the umpire called the penalty on him, though he said he understood the reason for it.

The funniest quote however came later via Cincinnati.com. After apologizing for how he behaved after making an excuse for it, he complained about why the penalty for hitting a ball in the stands rule is in place saying, "But I do think it's stupid in tennis that- I mean, in football if someone throws a helmet on the sideline, it's their helmet. We wonder where we lose our ratings battles to the WWE, Monday Night Raw.

While funny, it's pretty obvious Roddick doesn't understand that his sport is now a "fringe" sport. With the exception of Wimbledon and the U.S Open, nobody watches. They haven't watched for many, many years. And for what it is worth, if a football player threw his helmet on the field of play....it's an automatic penalty.

Just sayin'

Your highlights of round one from the ATP World Tour:

Federer fades at Wimbledon: End of an era?

Roger Federer

Gone are the days that Roger Federer dominated the world tennis circuit. Gone are the days the other players cowered in fear knowing that whatever they tried against Federer, it wouldn't be enough.

The way things now are, Federer is very, very good...but not necessarily better than anyone else.

That was proven today as Roger Federer today lost a match for the first time ever, after being up two sets to none.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga made the immortal Federer look awfully mortal, winning their quarterfinal match 3-6, 6-7, 6-4,6-4,6-4.

Federer, with 6 Wimbledon titles in the books, was looking to tie Pete Sampras' record of 7. But it wasn't to be as Tsonga played a near perfect final 3 sets.

With the ascension of Rafael Nadal and Novic Djokovic, Federer's days of dominance may finally have come to an end. We'll see if he can find enough game to recover and in some ways catch up to the field that has finally caught him.

Highlights courtesy of TVTennis24 right here:

Wozniacki Bounced At French, Top Two Seeds Gone From Women's Side

((HT: RGTV/youtube))

Women's top seed Caroline Wozniacki's won't be getting her first major title his time around. Daniela Hantuchova wiped the floor with her 6-1, 6-3 in the third round of the French Open.

"She played very, very well today, better than me for sure," said Wozniacki, who had never before lost a set to Hantuchova in three previous matches before today's whitewash on center court. "She knew what she was going to go out there and do. She was just too good."

With second seed Kim Clijsters' loss earlier this week, it is the first time in the Open era that the top two seeded women failed to make the round of 16 at a Grand Slam tournament.

Oops...

Here's your highlights...

Justine Henin Retires After Australian

Former women's Number 1 Justine Henin has retired from tennis for a second time, citing a lingering elbow injury.

Henin says on her website that "my elbow is too fragile and hurt so that my passion and my profession at high level cannot continue to exist."

Henin made the announcement five days after losing to Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 7-6 (8) in the third round of the Australian Open, and retires with seven Grand Slams singles titles.

She was ranked the top-ranked player in the world when she announced her first retirement back in 2008. She returned 20 months later and made it to last year's
Australian Open final.

She partially tore a ligament in her right elbow in a fall at Wimbledon last year.

Here's highlights from that match down under...
((HT: Eurosport/Australian Open/Youtube))

Day 7 At The Australian: One For The Record Books

The match went 4 hours and 44 minutes and French Open champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy beat Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 1-6, 16-14 in the fourth round at the Australian Open.

The match set a record for the longest women's Grand Slam match in the Open era.

Schiavone won the French Open last year at the age of 29, becoming the first Italian player (male or female) to win a major and the oldest woman in four decades to win her first Grand Slam title when she did. Schiavone also became the oldest woman since 1990 to enter the top 10 for the first time in a career at 29.

She reaches her first Australian Open quarterfinal, and is also is expected to rise from her current career-high ranking of 6th in the world.

Here's the recap, from the Australian Open their ownselves...


And the postgame...


You just get tired looking at the stuff...

Azarenka Collapses At US Open, Diagnosed With Concussion

((HT: Tennis Channel/USTA/DownTheLine58))

When this event initially happened at the US Open earlier today, the early diagnosis seemed to be heat related...

Victoria Azarenka collapsed on court during her first round match with Argentine Gisela Dulko. She was down 5-1 at the time...


Azarenka has since released a statement...

"I was warming up in the gym prior to my match against Gisela Dulko. I fell while running a sprint. I fell forward and hit my arm and head. I was checked by the medical team before I went on court and they were courtside for monitoring. I felt worse as the match went on, having a headache and feeling dizzy. I also started having trouble seeing and felt weak before I fell. I was taken to the hospital for some medical tests and have been diagnosed with a mild concussion."

BREAKING NEWS: Longest Tennis Match Ever Not Over Yet...

At the All England Lawn and Tennis Club today, the 23rd seed (and 19th-ranked player in the world) John Isner was taking on French qualifier and 148th-ranked Nicolas Mahut...

And they went a while... and they're not done yet...

In a marathon that has exceeded nine hours and 406 minutes in the fifth set alone, the Isner-Mahut match became the record-holder for most games ever in a set and a match, longest match ever, longest match in Wimbledon history, and the most aces in a match.

Here's the 100th game in the fifth set...
((HT: AELTC/SportRO/RealMadagascar))


Isner was actually scheduled to play men's doubles with Sam Querry, but the match had to be pushed back since the University of Georgia grad was otherwise occupied in the marathon 5th set.

Think about it... if each of the four previous sets went to tiebreakers it would make 52 games total. Isner and Mahut each won more than that in the last set alone.

Here's some stats...not including the bathroom break at 58-all in the fifth, and the fact that both the Court 18 scoreboard and the tournament SlamTracker were broken at 50-plus...

The game carried from the day before because of darkness, and when Mahut called for light and Isner wanted to serve, that was where the players disagreed and the match was suspended at 59-all.

You've got to be kidding me...

Isner has 98 aces and Mahut only 94...
Isner has 333 winners and Mahut only 318...
Mahut has more points won 449 to 428...

Pam Shriver Talks During James Blake Match

And, apparently, keeps talking during points...
Points that Blake lost and got on Shriver about...

Here's the exchange...
((HT: ESPN/AEL&TC/nickrock2323))


Shhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nadal No Worries With Soderling This Year At French

Rafael Nadal played easily beat the Number 5 seed Robin Soderling of Sweden in straight sets 6-4, 6-2, and 6-4. Nadal won his fifth French Open championship, his seventh Grand Slam title overall, and earned a return to the top ranking in the world. He'll switch places with Roger Federer when the new numbers come out Monday.

"I lost last year because I was not well-prepared, and I had very low morale last year, as well..."

That, and he's not injured anymore, either...

Here's the last game of the match...
((HT: TF1/ATP/Siphodias92))


Here's some post-game analysis from Brad Gilbert...
((HT: ESPN/NBC/ATP))


Nadal is 38-1 at Roland Garros and, three days after his 24th birthday, stands just one French Open title shy of Bjorn Borg's record of six. For the second time in three years, Nadal won the tournament without losing a set.

Stosur Upsets Serena At French

The top-ranked player on the women's side, Serena Williams, loses in the quarterfinals- blowing a match point in the process- and losing to Australian Samantha Stosur 6-2, 6-7 (7-2), 8-6.

A 12-time Grand Slam champion, Williams won her only French Open title in 2002 and hasn't been to the semifinals since 2003.

"I guess it's a redundant story with me," she said. "It was my match, and I lost it."

The upset was the second in a row for the 7th seed. Stosur ended four-time champion Justine Henin's French Open winning streak at 24 matches in the fourth round.

Here's your postgame from Stosur...
((HT: French Open/WTA/murcet))

Federer Out At French In Quarters

Robin Soderling rallied past defending champion Roger Federer in a quarterfinal, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4. That ended Federer's record streak of reaching the semifinals in 23 consecutive major events.

It'll be the first Grand Slam semifinal that doesn't have Federer in the last six years...

Federer beat Soderling in last year's final. Before Tuesday, Federer was 12-0 against the big-swinging Swede, winning 28 of their 30 sets.

Here's one of those points that just reinforced that it wasn't going to be Federer's day... even with a little slice action from Roger...
((HT: Eurosport/taur1n))

Federer Whiff Gives Nadal Madrid Title

Just when you think you've seen everything...

Nadal improved to 15-0 on clay this season won a record 18th Masters title Sunday in Madrid- beating top-ranked Roger Federer 6-4, 7-6 in the final ((7-5 in the tiebreaker)).

"The most important thing is winning at home; winning in Madrid is a dream. After that, I think about the ranking," said Nadal. "Against this opponent, it's always going to be difficult."

And a really weird ending...

Here are the last points of the second set tie-break...
((HT: Tennis Channel/Patxy270180))


The HQ would like to ask: "Where's Dan Patrick when you need him...???"
Oh, yeah... he's right here...
((HT: SI.com))

Venus Loses, Slams Another Opponent...

((HT: Brooks))
Okay, so you lose to an opponent in a tourney... and, while you're leaving, you smack someone else in the process...

Venus Williams loses to Jelena Jankovic, but during the tiebreaker there were some time-in time-out shenanigans involving them both...

Serves when one wanted time out and it counted... serves when one wanted time out and didn't get it... and Jankovic still won...

And then the microphones picked up this exchange...
((HT: Tennis Channel/WTA))


We go back to 2003 while leading Justin Henin in a French Open semifinal, Henin asked for a play stoppage by holding up her hand during Serena’s first serve.
((HT: ESPN/WTA))


Aren't flashbacks wonderful...???

Serena out $82 Large for the Holidays

The profanity laced tirade that Serena Williams unleashed at the U.S Open back in early September has proven to be a bit expensive for her. Since it was a "Grand Slam" offense, she was fined the max...$82,500 to be exact and she was put on probation for the next 2 years. Should she commit another "Offense" during that period, the fine would double to $172,ooo and she be barred from the next U.S Open.

More from USA Today RIGHT HERE

((Serena Williams says not so nice things//Courtesy: The TimesOnline.co.uk))

Really, this isn't a humungous story, but it does give us an excuse to re-run the video of her shall we say...entertaining tirade. Enjoy the video, Thanks You Tube:

"Tennis Night In America!"

((Insert your divine being here)) Bless Jenna Maroney and Mary Carillo...

How's this for your weekend...???
Enjoy...
((HT: NBC Universal))

Serena Fined $10-Grand For Not Killing Side Judge

((HT: CBSSports))

Serena Williams' profanity-laced, finger-pointing tirade at a U.S. Open linesperson drew a $10,000 fine Sunday, and more punishment could follow from a broader investigation into what the head of the tournament called her "threatening manner."

The fine -- not quite 3 percent of the $350,000 in prize money Williams earned by reaching the semifinals -- is the maximum on-site penalty that can be issued for unsportsmanlike conduct at a Grand Slam tournament.

"The average individual would look at that and say, 'A $10,000 fine for what she did? What are you guys, crazy?' The answer is: the process isn't over," tournament director Jim Curley said in an interview.

Williams also was docked $500 for smashing her racket after the first set of the match. Because she was issued a warning then, her later actions resulted in the loss of a point.

The foot fault resulted in a double-fault, which moved Clijsters one point from victory. Williams then was penalized a point for her outburst; because it happened to come on match point, it ended the semifinal with Clijsters ahead 6-4, 7-5.

Babcock did not immediately respond to requests for comment. But Curley said the inquiry probably would include reviewing TV footage, checking additional audio feeds from courtside microphones and interviewing Williams, the linesperson, the chair umpire and possibly spectators.

"What she did was unacceptable. It's unacceptable behavior under any circumstances. When you're on the court, and you are waving your racket toward a linesperson and using profanity, it's just simply unacceptable," Curley told the AP. "When you look at the tape, it's pretty clear that the way she approached the linesperson, with her racket and in that manner, it was a threatening manner. It certainly was."

Here's a longer version of the outburst, thanks to our friends at 9NewsAustralia/USTA

Roger Federer Is Flat Ridiculous

((HT: CBSSports/USTA))

Yeah, we know.... this should be considered normal behavior...
Federer faces Juan Martin Del Potro in the men's final in Flushing Meadow...
This is just wrong...

Did you see, kids, that Novak Djokovic was just paralyzed by that shot...???
It's not really recommended for newly-minted fathers, though...

Serena Codes Out Of US Open After Outburst

((HT: NY Post))

Yeah, okay... this wasn't bizarre or anything in the US Open semi-finals...

With Serena Williams ((pictured, thanks Reuters/NYPost)) serving at 5-6, 15-30 in the second set, she faulted on her first serve. On the second serve, a line judge called a foot fault, making it a double-fault — a call rarely, if ever, seen at that stage of any match, let alone the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament.

That made the score 15-40, putting Kim Clijsters one point from victory.

Instead of stepping to the baseline to serve again, Williams went over and shouted and cursed at the line judge, pointing at her and shaking a ball at her.

“If I could, I would take this ... ball and shove it down your ... throat and kill you,” Williams said.

The ellipses you see are blocking alleged expletives not picked up on courtside microphones...

The line judge went over to the chair umpire, and tournament referee Brian Earley joined in the conversation. Williams then went over and said to the line judge: “I didn’t say I would kill you. Are you serious? Are you serious? I didn’t say that.”

Williams already had been give a code violation warning when she broke her racket after losing the first set. So the chair umpire now awarded a penalty point to Clijsters, ending the match.

“She was called for a foot fault, and a point later, she said something to a line umpire, and it was reported to the chair, and that resulted in a point penalty,” Earley explained. “And it just happened that point penalty was match point. It was a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct.”

((HT: Eurosport/USTA))
Here's the outburst in question...

Oudin Is Ou-Done

((HT: WAGA-TV/MyFoxAtlanta))

Melanie Oudin's magical U.S. Open is over.

Even the comeback kid couldn't overturn this deficit.

Showing signs of shakiness in her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, the 17-year-old Oudin got off to a slow start against No. 9-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and never really recovered, losing 6-2, 6-2 Wednesday night.

"This has been a great experience for me. I had a great run here," the 70th-ranked Oudin told the crowd of 23,881 during an on-court interview right after the match, an honor usually reserved for the winner. "I hope to come back next year and do even better."

It'll be hard to top her 2009 U.S. Open.

She upset four more established players — including three-time major champion Maria Sharapova and Beijing Olympic gold medalist Elena Dementieva — to become the youngest quarterfinalist at Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams in 1999.

Making the story even better: Oudin's last three victories each came after dropping the first set. But Wednesday's start was quite inauspicious: She lost 14 of the first 18 points under the bright lights in the big city.

With "BELIEVE" stamped in all capital letters on the heels of her pink-and-yellow sneakers — and, up in the player guest box, her twin sister and coach wearing black T-shirts bearing that word, too — the 5-foot-6 Oudin certainly never gave up.

Her groundstrokes let her down, though.

Oudin made 43 unforced errors, 23 more than Wozniacki. A relative veteran by comparison, the 19-year-old Wozniacki leads the women's tour in match victories this season.

"I'm sorry that I won against Melanie today," Wozniacki told the partisan fans, some of whom cheered when she double-faulted. "I know that many of you wanted Melanie to win."

Never intimidated by the hostile crowd, Wozniacki was backed by her own cheering section of about 15 strong. Their applause and yells of encouragement were quite audible in a mostly empty Arthur Ashe Stadium as Oudin's error count mounted in the early going. It took less than 10 minutes for Wozniacki to seize a 3-0 lead, cleverly constructing points.

After many of her mistakes, Oudin would walk to the edge of the court, her back to the net, and fiddle with her strings. When she did find success with her deep groundstrokes, many of which landed right near the baseline, Oudin would turn toward Mom with a raised fist and a yell of "Come on!"

This was, don't forget, Wozniacki's first major quarterfinal, too, yet she only really showed some nerves after already leading 5-1. She missed a backhand, then a forehand, and later double-faulted to get broken for the only time. Still, Wozniacki righted herself right away, breaking back to take the set when Oudin missed a backhand.

To no one's surprise, Oudin made bids to make things interesting in the second set.

At 1-1, Oudin held two break points — and pushed a forehand return of a 71 mph second serve wide, then sailed a forehand long. Then, at 2-all, Oudin again earned two break points — and sent a backhand wide on the first, then a forehand long on the second.

And that, essentially, was that. Wozniacki won that game and each of the next four.

Here's Fox5's coverage of the end of the Cinderella Run...
Denise Dillon got to do a live shot in the dark after the match at Melanie's home club...