SPORT IN SHORT
TENNIS Serena Williams accused the umpire as being sexist after an extraordinary clash during her US Open final defeat by Naomi Osaka.
The American was furious when she was given a coaching violation after a hand gesture from her coach Patrick Mouratoglou, telling umpire Carlos Ramos she would rather lose than cheat.
She was then docked a point for a second violation when she smashed her racket. Williams accused Ramos of being a thief for taking a point away. So Ramos gave her a third violation, which resulted in a game penalty, putting Osaka 5-3 ahead. A tearful Williams argued her case with officials but, although she held serve in the next game, Osaka served out the victory 6-2 6-4.
Williams said: “I’ve seen other men call other umpires several things. I’m here fighting for women’s rights and for women’s equality. For me to say ‘thief’ and for him to take a game, it made me feel like it was a sexist remark. He’s never taken a game from a man because they said ‘thief’. It blows my mind.”
ATHLETICS Sir Mo Farah became the first man to win the Great North Run five times with a blistering victory on the sea front at South Shields. Farah just missed out on his personal best by four seconds as he finished in 59 mins 26 secs, half a minute ahead of New Zealand’s Jake Robertson in second place.
Favourite Vivian Cheruiyot finished strongly to win her second women’s title in one hour, seven minutes and 43 seconds, while David Weir won the men’s wheelchair race for the seventh time.