I know jack all about tennis, but I do know that sometimes you just need to absolutely annihilate an inanimate object before flinging it dismissively from your sight.
Serena Williams lost an opening-set tiebreaker to Christina McHale during the second round of Wimbledon on Friday, a setback that left her understandably frustrated. From ESPN:
“I was just really, really, really angry,” Williams said after the match. “I had a lot of chances. She got really lucky on some shots. She just was playing great. I was a little disappointed in myself at that point.”
The outburst, which sent the racket sailing into the lap of a cameraman in the photo pit, will likely come with a cost: The All England Club points to a portion of its rule book that says that
“Players shall not violently or with anger hit, kick or throw a racquet or other equipment within the precincts of the tournament site. Violation of this section shall subject a player to a fine up to $20,000 for each violation.”
But no matter: Williams may have lost the set, but she went on to win the match, advancing her to the third round against Germany’s Annika Beck. (For a florid play-by-play of the match itself, see the Guardian’s write-up here.)
As for the racket, Williams signed it and gave it to a fan. Everyone went home happy, except the racket, and probably McHale.
