Serena Williams - (Edwin Martinez photo)

Naomi Osaka - (si.robi photo)

SPORTS NOTES - SERENA WILLIAMS LOST THE PLOT

James Loving/National Radio Text Service

Serena Williams' future will be examined for her attack on US Open chair umpire Carlos Ramos. The questions are can she come to terms with her irrational behavior and has the pressure for her effort to tie Margaret Court's 24 Grand Slam titles record too much for her to handle?

Thursday, September 13, 2018

From THEN TILL NOW - the BOILING POINT

There is one thing in common with the tennis and international football worlds which are the actions of two of its greatest stars. In football Zinadine Zidane will be most remembered for his head butt on Italy's Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup.

Now tennis has the talents of Serena Williams verbal outburst in this year's US Open. Both of these talented stars are recognized by many as being the best of all time in their respective sports only to be blemished for one emotional moment.

Her outburst was the sideshow as she was defeated by Naomi Osaka 6-2, 6-4 to claim the 2018 US Open women's title.

Zidane has moved on having coached Real Madrid to three successive Champions League titles but the embarrassment of the Materazzi head butt remains.

In Serena's case her future will be examined for her attack on US Open chair umpire Carlos Ramos. The questions are can she come to terms with her irrational behavior and has the pressure for her effort to tie Margaret Court's 24 Grand Slam titles record too much for her to handle?

Ramos gave Williams three code violations during the US Open final. Williams was cited for getting coaching signals; for breaking her racket, which cost her a point; and for calling Ramos a thief, which cost her a game.

The drama continued when the tournament referee docked Williams $10,000 for "verbal abuse" of the chair umpire, $4,000 for being warned for coaching and $3,000 for breaking her racket.

The ITF said in a statement that Ramos' citations were "reaffirmed by the U.S. Open's decision to fine Serena Williams for the three offenses."

The governing body of tennis added: "Ramos undertook his duties as an official according to the relevant rule book and acted at all times with professionalism and integrity."

Buried among this rubble is the achievement of Osaka to defeat her childhood idol to win her first Grand Slam title. Age is a factor in her victory. Williams' 37th birthday will be September 26. Williams turned pro in October 1995 before the now 20 year-old Osaka was born on October 16th 1997.

Irrational comments were made. Williams charged Ramos as being sexist and some black females in the media made comments such as the decisions made were racist. That racist accusation is absurd since Osaka has a Japanese mother and a Haitian father. The two tennis stars do have similar backgrounds BUT... in two different eras.

The point being did Serena's explosion have something to do with her fight to survive and THRIVE?

TO BE CONTINUED

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