Williams crashes out

NEW YORK – Belgian comeback queen Kim Clijsters knocked out Serena Williams in a wildly controversial finish on Saturday to advance to the final of the US Open and become the poster girl for working mothers.

Just weeks after returning to the tour from a two-year break to start a family, Clijsters beat the defending champion 6-4 7-5 after a day-long rain delay at Flushing Meadows.At 5-6, 15-30 down in the second set, Williams whacked her second serve but the lineswoman called her on a foot-fault that put her at match point down.The American’s subsequent expletive-laced tirade directed at the lineswoman resulted in a point penalty – and the end of the match.’I swear to God I’m… going to take this… ball and shove it down your… throat, you hear that? I swear to God,’ Williams said.After the line-judge reported the second seed to the umpire for verbal abuse, Williams added: ‘I never said I would kill you, are you serious?’However, Saturday’s incident was just the latest to surround the fiery American.’I’m drama, and I don’t want to be drama,’ Williams said in May at the French Open where she labelled Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez ‘a cheat’ following a controversial point in their third round match.’I’m beginning to think it’s me because I do have a lot of drama, and it’s always something, whether it’s my life with friends, with anybody. It’s like I have the most dramatic life. It’s so ridiculous.’In 2003, a sobbing Williams accused another Belgian Justine Henin of ‘lying and fabricating’ following another controversial semi-final defeat at Roland Garros.Clijsters was due to face Danish teenager Caroline Wozniacki, who defeated unseeded and error-prone Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 6-3 6-3 in the other semi-final.Earlier on Saturday, third seed Rafael Nadal needed just 34 minutes to complete a rain-delayed 7-6 7-6 6-0 victory over Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez and gain a spot in the semi-finals. – Nampa-Reuters