Enlarge imageBy Pritha Sarkar
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Kim Clijsters reached the U.S. Open final after beating defending champion Serena Williams 6-4 7-5 Saturday in a contest that ended in chaos after the American was handed a point penalty on match point.
With the Belgian on the brink of victory, second seed Williams was called for a foot-fault on a second serve to go match point down. An angry Williams argued with the lineswoman who reported her for verbal abuse.
Having already received a warning earlier in the match for smashing a racket, Williams was handed an automatic point penalty for a second violation which gave Clijsters the match.
"It was not a default, it was a point penalty that happened to be on match point. She had had an earlier warning for racket abuse," tournament referee Brian Earley told reporters.
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"She was called for a foot fault... and she said something to a line umpire and it was reported to the chair and that resulted in a point penalty."
Early would not go into what Williams said, adding only: "It was a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct."
Serving at 5-6 15-30 down in the second set, Williams launched into her second serve only for the lineswoman at the baseline to call her for a foot-fault.
Incensed by the verdict, a fired up Williams marched up to the official, and waving her racket threateningly, she argued with her for making the call at such a crucial moment as the double fault gave Clijsters match point.
The woman walked straight to the umpire, who summoned Earley on to court as jeers started to ring around a half-filled Arthur Ashe Stadium.
With Williams joining the group at the bottom of the umpire's chair, she was heard telling the lineswoman: "I never said I would kill you, are you serious?"
After consulting Earley, the umpire announced Williams had been given a point penalty and awarded the match to Clijsters, who stood on the other side of the net looking bewildered.
"I was just trying to be focussed for the match point. As I started to get ready for the return I saw Serena talking to the lineswoman over there," Clijsters said in a courtside interview.
"I was obviously too far away to hear what was going on so I can't really comment on that."
The Belgian, playing in only her third tournament after taking a two-year break to start a family, became the first mother to reach a grand slam final since Evonne Goolagong achieved the feat at Wimbledon in 1980.
In Sunday's final, Clijsters will face Danish teen-ager Caroline Wozniacki, who defeated unseeded and error-prone Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 6-3 6-3 in the other semi-final.
(Editing by Steve Ginsburg)
