Sportsmanship

Less than a week left in Singapore!

Thrilled to be going back soon, but will miss home dearly...

Had not-so-wild shopping spree on Saturday. Weird, weird day. Sigh...

Anyways... Anyone watched the US Open women's semi-final matches yesterday? Unfortunately I wasn't lucky enough to see the ultimate meltdown of Serena Williams. But I did catch her incredible display of a lack of sportsmanship on the evening news.

It was hilarious (and infuriating, because her racquet would easily cost a couple hundred dollars!) watching her smash her tennis racquet after the first set, where her opponent Kim Clijsters won the last point.

Later on in the game, Serena was called for a foot fault by the line judge. She reacted violently by waving her racquet at the woman and used foul language, threatening to "kill her".

This coming from the reigning champion of tennis?!

I don't really like Serena Williams, so I felt little to no sympathy for her. I say bravo to the judges for kicking Serena out of the semi-finals. A sportsman like her doesn't deserve to win.

Is she only going to be happy if she wins? In sports, you win some, you lose some. You can't win 'em all. And if she doesn't want to lose, then she jolly well practice like crap and play her best during the match. How can a well-known champion like her lose her temper like this, at an important match such as the US Open?

Tennis strikes me as being more posh than games like basketball or baseball, so it seems to me that dignity and poise is all the more needed, especially at widely broadcasted matches like Wimbledon and the US Open. These important tournaments always felt rather high-class and held a hint of exclusivity to me.

Well, in the first place, the Williams sisters never struck me as being having any class whatsoever.

Ok, who am I to judge, right? What age is this, that I talk about class, right? Even 'lower class' people can be talented and hardworking and beat 'higher class' people, right?

Not denying those facts. But what I mean by class is a certain air of dignified sportsmanship. At least don't bash your racquet up in front of a live audience, not to mention the rest of the world watching the match on the telly! DO IT IN PRIVATE!

I'm no sports athelete, but even I understand how to be a good sport and even if I lose, just grit my teeth and smile, and maybe beat my pillow to shreds in my room later. Why do it in public and embarrass herself and her sister, and probably her family? Pointless!

Plus, her screaming at the judge didn't do her any favours either. I mean, come on, the judge has all the power! How dumb is Serena?! She has to know that one word from the judge, and she would be out of the tournament! God, seriously, did she think that just because she was reigning champion, she would be given preferential treatment? Maybe the judges got sick of her always winning, and were frankly just irritated with her Neanderthal-like grunting on the court? I know I am!

I say good for Kim Clijsters for winning. In my opinion, she's a far better sportsman than the Williams sisters put together. Who cares if you had to work hard for getting to where you are when you rest on your laurels and expect to always win? Someone's gonna come along who will beat you at the end of the day if you get all big-headed and conceited.

So sucks to you, Serena Williams.