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Two days after her profanity-laced exit from the U.S. Open singles semifinals, she returned with her sister, Venus, and rolled to an easy victory for their 10th Grand Slam doubles championship Monday.
It was a 6-2, 6-2 win over defending champions Cara Black and Liezel Huber and it couldn't have been more unlike the scene Saturday night, when Williams got called for a foot fault that triggered her outburst at a line judge. That resulted in a point penalty on match point against Kim Clijsters, and an ugly departure from the singles semifinal.
About a half-hour before the doubles match began, Williams issued an apology for the evening's events, saying she is "a woman of great pride, faith and integrity, and I admit when I'm wrong."
She received a $10,000 fine on Sunday.
She and Venus will split a $420,000 winner's check for their first U.S. Open title since 1999.
Patrick McEnroe conducted the post-match interview on court and Williams sounded contrite but didn't apologise.
"I'd like to thank the fans for supporting me through everything," she said to applause from a few thousand fans at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"I really, really love you guys and never want to have a bad image for you guys."
McEnroe asked two follow-up questions, but was interrupted by booing on the second one, as he tried to ask her "what clicked" in her mind over the past 48 hours to trigger the apology, which came a day after she'd issued a first statement that didn't include one. Big sister Venus stepped in.
"I think what the crowd is saying is, 'Patrick, let's move on,'" Venus said.
If her tennis was any indication, Serena has moved on.
There was a noticeable bit of green this time between her foot and the line when she got ready to serve in the third game. No foot faults were called.
The only interaction with the officials in this one came in the first set, when Black hit a ball toward the sideline to the left of the chair umpire, who hesitated briefly before overruling the linesperson and calling the ball out.
Venus and Serena both pointed to the line, indicating they had seen it in. But even though they were trying to do the right thing, the call stood.
Other than that, this was as routine as it gets.
The Williamses broke Black all four times she served - twice in the first set and twice in the second - and finished the tournament losing a grand total of one set over six matches.
"I think you can see it," Huber said.
"They're bigger and stronger than us. They served bigger than us and you could see it all today."
Links:
[1] http://www.odt.co.nz/files/story/2009/09/serena_williams_left_of_the_united_states_and_her__1286785673.jpg