Sorry, Serena, but no tennis player can be above the rules
SERENA Williams lost her temper with umpire Carlos Ramos at the US Open final not once but several times, and was abusive to him. To most people, this is unacceptable behaviour, but apparently not to her fans. What message does this send out?
No tennis player should be above the rules, especially those at the highest level. In other sports, such an outburst would have resulted in a red card and a ban.
IAN WORRALL, Surrey. I HAVE enormous respect for Serena Williams, who has surpassed many hurdles to become a champion tennis player.
She is admired, liked and respected by her fellow players. She has been treated unfairly in the past by officials and has also let her fiery temper get the better of her.
At the final of the US Open, umpire Carlos Ramos adhered strictly to the rules. But by handing out severe penalties, he may have altered the course of the match and cost Serena the title.
Would he have tolerated the same behaviour from a male player? It is for him and his conscience to know.
Female players have claimed there is sexism when handing out disciplinary action. Next time, Serena, just bite your lip.
DIANE SILVA, Lancashire. SERENA Williams was fined only 1% of her US Open prize money for her unprofessional outburst. They cannot be serious!
J. KEEPING, Dorset. …NO grace, no respect, unprofessional behaviour and a shocking example to her daughter.
GILL HALE, Warwick. …SO Serena Williams is fighting for equality in tennis. I don’t recall hearing her call for women to play the same number of sets as the men to earn the same prize money.
C. PICKERING, Yorkshire.
A tip for Paschal
THE queues will be long to see Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe ahead of the Budget. All of the powerful lobbies will be out.
However, the minister could grant everybody a decent increase by abolishing TV licence fees. Let the national broadcaster stand alone. RTÉ already has more resources than all of the other media companies added together.
The licence fee is used to fund the extravagant salaries and fees of RTÉ personnel together with unnecessary and unwanted expansion of its services.
HARRY MULHERN, Dublin.
Strange encounter
LAST week I attended a wedding reception in Meath. I wore a dark suit, white shirt, black shoes with steel heel ends, and a red tie.
After the meal I went for a stroll into the village and called into the local betting office to check the racing results. It was an impressive, clean, spacious place with a ceramic tiled floor.
I strolled across the tiles to the results screen – my every step accompanied by the sound of iron on stone. There was just one customer in the building, a wee man. He was handing a bet to the woman behind the counter as I strolled from the results screen to the counter. When the receptionist handed him his receipt, the wee man eyed me sideways. Finally, he addressed me. ‘HELLO.’ ‘Hello,’ I replied. ‘Are you all right?’ He asked. ‘Yes, I am fine,’ I replied. ‘It’s JUST that you came in that door and walked around the place like an EFFING superintendent,’ he retorted.
‘I can assure you that I am no superintendent,’ I replied.
He turned on his heels and made for the door. The receptionist’s face registered puzzlement – she shrugged her shoulders.
I strolled back to the wedding reception baffled as to what it was about me that had reminded the poor fellow of the figure of authority he clearly finds so annoying.
EUGENE CASSIDY, Co. Cavan.