Umpire returns to duty after clash with Serena

It is unclear when Serena Williams will return to action after her clash with chair umpire Carlos Ramos during her loss to Naomi Osaka on Saturday in the US Open final.

But Ramos, who drew both sharp criticism and vehement support in the aftermath of the final, will be back on duty in Zadar, Croatia, on Friday for the three-day Davis Cup semi-final between the United States and Croatia.

Katrina Adams, the United States Tennis Association president who was critical of Ramos’s officiating in the Open final, is in Zadar and is expected to attend the matches. But Jim Courier, the U.S. captain, said he had no issue with Ramos being back in the chair.

“Carlos is experienced and respected by our team,” Courier said. “We foresee no problems with officiating over the upcoming weekend.”

Ramos, one of tennis’ most experienced umpires, received the Davis Cup semi-final assignment more than a month ago. International Tennis Federation officials said on Wednesday that there was no question of

NEW YORK:

Naomi Osaka has refused to criticise Serena Williams after her historic US Open victory was overshadowed by the American’s furious row with the chair umpire.

But after returning to Japan on Thursday, Osaka insisted there were no hard feelings towards Serena, who branded umpire Carlos Ramos a “thief” in an astonishing tantrum triggered by a code violation for coaching that ended in a docked game.

“For me I don’t feel sad because I wouldn’t even know what I’m expected to feel,” said Osaka, who has climbed from changing the assignment.

But they did say they had spoken with Ramos to ensure that he felt ready to work again after the furore in New York, in which Ramos cited Williams for three code violations, the third of which cost her a game late in her 6-2, 6-4 loss to Osaka.

Tour-level chair umpires are forbidden by the rules and by their contracts to publicly discuss matches that they or their colleagues work.

But Ramos, a 47-year-old Por- tuguese, did give a brief comment to the Portuguese newspaper Tribuna Expresso on Tuesday.

“I’m fine, given the circumstances,” Ramos said, according to the newspaper. “It is a delicate situation, but umpiring ‘a la carte’ does not exist. Don’t worry about me.”

But there has been concern within the umpiring community about the lack of immediate support for Ramos from tennis officials.

YOKOHAMA:Japan’s

PTI Prajnesh Gunneswaran won singles bronze at the Asian Games.

AFP Umpire Carlos Ramos, who was called ‘thief’ by Serena Williams, told a Portuguese newspaper that he is unfazed by the incident.