ITF chief says ban unlikely for Serena Williams
REGGIO CALABRIA, Italy (AP)—Top-ranked Serena Williams will most likely receive a “significant” fine but no suspension for her U.S. Open tirade, the president of the International Tennis Federation said.
Grand Slam administrator Bill Babcock is expected to give his recommendation to the Grand Slam committee, which probably will announce the sanction Monday or Tuesday.
“I don’t think (an Australian Open ban) would make much sense, because it would penalize the people handing out the punishment,” Francesco Ricci Bitti told The Associated Press on Saturday. “For the Grand Slam committee to exclude her from a Grand Slam doesn’t seem likely.”
The Grand Slam committee is composed of Ricci Bitti and the four Grand Slam presidents.
Williams was fined $10,000 after her profanity-laced outburst at a lineswoman during her semifinal loss to Kim Clijsters in September. A fine from the ITF could be much greater.
“A significant financial penalty makes much more sense. But it has to be significant enough for the fans (to appreciate) it,” Ricci Bitti said. “Of course it may not be significant for Serena Williams, who earns tens of millions.”
By winning the season-ending tour championship last weekend, Williams set the record for single-season prize money in women’s tennis by topping $6.5 million in 2009. Her career prize money is a record $28.5 million.
Ricci Bitti spoke at the Fed Cup final between the United States in Italy. Serena and Venus Williams decided not to play in the Fed Cup final after meeting in the final of the season-ending championship last weekend in Doha, Qatar.
The ITF president is also involved in a request by the World Anti-Doping Agency to investigate Andre Agassi’s recent admission that he took crystal meth in 1997.
Agassi wrote in his soon-to-be-released autobiography “Open” that he ingested the drug and then lied to the ATP to avoid a suspension after failing a doping test.
Ricci Bitti is also a member of WADA’s executive committee.
“The WADA code is our reference point and in every doping case the rules are quite clear. There is an eight-year period for sanctions to apply,” Ricci Bitti said. “In terms of the regulations, there is nothing that can be done because we’re past the eight-year period. It’s more upsetting than anything else — for our sport and for the players.”
Still, Ricci Bitti noted that the ATP should have a dossier on the case.
“We’ll see what happens,” he said.
In another drug-related case, the ITF confirmed a one-year suspension for Belgian tennis players Yanina Wickmayer and Xavier Malisse on Saturday. The duo was suspended by a Belgian tribunal this week for failing to report their whereabouts to anti-doping officials three times during 2009.
“This reminds me of the cases of Italian players involved in betting a little while ago,” Ricci Bitti said. “These players need to be aware of their responsibilities. If they don’t know, this is the result.
“These cases create discussion because they’re not reliant on positive tests, but there are rules to respect,” Ricci Bitti added. “We’re awaiting the details from the Belgian federation. These kids need to wake up. They’re professionals and they earn a lot of money. They don’t need to merely know the rules, they should also respect them.”
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372 Comments
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Also, there are some very interesting tennis posts on some of the other threads today by some new posters
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Thanks! That tip helped so much!!
Glasses or water :-)
That was amazing, thank you so much for sending that ..I sent it to so many people this morning!
What the world needs now~peace sweet peace~starting within ourselves~and rippling outward :-)
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Peace.
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john, I tried several times, nothing..help, please!
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKOSco-cKJU
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ABSOLUTELY!!!!
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In responding to your post, EVERYDAY is both Christmas and Easter.
Power to the people, and fortunate are those who know from whence it comes.
Can you feel it?
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Wow, I feel like "Christ" mas has come early this year, don't you???
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As I was thinking of you tonight, the above message came to me(and not from me) as to a way to begin ths post. It's meaning is already inside of you, you just need to respond.
Your posts(345 and 347) mark the eloquence with a vengence in their attacks on haters. Because you have refrained in the frequency of your appearances and attacks over the past two months, you really let it out.
I want to share with you a pattern:
When you attack, very shortly thereafter, a poster will appear to welcome you back and expresses delight in your posting and encourage you to continue. Shortly after that a long time stalker appears to let you know that they are still around.This stalker is aware of how much you detest it and very much wants you to continue attacking as you have in the past. Ironically, the stalker tries to use reverse psychology by warning you to stay away.
Have you noticed this pattern? How are you going to handle this?
My opinion(not advice)..It is probably your ultimate goal to run this demon away. This demon will start doing what it did in the past...stalk and multiple post. Your eloquence in posting by far has been sharper than I or any others have posted. This demon has therefore chosen to dine from your table. This demon used to dine at my house....until I changed the menu.
Your new menu is in the dark, but can be seen... if you take a lighted candle.
Peace.
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I really don't even know how some of this has anything to do with tennis whatsoever, but it is human nature to become kindred spirits across a spans of time which cannot be explained.
I know my generation had it's "pen-pals" and I still communicate with some whom I have never met.
We've "upgraded" now~to this sassy little computer thing, but people have used "voice" to exchange ideas from the beginning of time. It's when the "voice" is silenced we spiral downwards into chaos!
Thank you for your post..I appreciated that. I knew you had "walked away", I was concerned & john had explained that to me and I completely understand why all of us "need" to walk away at times. It really becomes "knee-deep" on here doesn't it :-)
I think it's always a good thing for people to express their grievances, but some times it's about things so "not" important it borders on absurdity.
Tennis IS important to us fans..just as is our football, BB, hockey, etc...but within context of the greater issues in life~
You, john and topseed all have that within the proper "framework", perspective as it were.
When our men and women fall on the 'battlefield', whether that's overseas on in Texas, then THAT is what matters the most!
Nothing infuriates me more than someone who doesn't appreciate what he has, regardless of how little of how much that may be~ This country has MORE than it's fair share and we've accomplished so much in so few years, therefore we are "hated", envied and rebuked for nearly any and everything. My husband and I have had the good fortune to have traveled some and we've seen first hand how BLESSED "we" are here!!! That didn't just happen, it's been because of sacrifices by so many.
I've stood at Gettysburg's Battlefield and if really quiet, you can hear the whispers of those lying helpless as their blood soaked into the ground, they youth spent, their glory forgotten. It's up to US to never forget what they did~
I've stood at Normandy and walked among the crosses and stars feeling the enormous burdens our sons and daughters undertook or all of us. It's now up to us to carry on their spirt!
You can smell it, taste it even among the lush, green & manicured lawns which take the place of enemy bunkers and guns reeking of suffering and dying.
I KNOW there are posters on here who are active duty or Veterans. For them to have to read some of this "anti-American" trash really does anger me~greatly! I take this personally~
I will never force anything on anyone, but to be unappreciative of what SO many have done for us is nearly "unforgivable" for me.
I will always "chip in" to buy whomever a "one-way" ticket to wherever they want to go and give them cab fare to the airport! It won't take long before they realize what has been lost to them~
I've seen hatred, I've experienced it (as the hater) and being the hated, NEITHER is a good thing.
Hatred saps so much energy, takes so much focus and blinds us to what amazing potential and grace our lives could have. It's a waste and one so many seem determined to embrace~
You do not, nor does john, truth and topseed. We're all different. That's a "good" thing!
I bet you were a "good" English student :-) I feel honored to have taught..to have been entrusted with helping mold young minds.
You are one of the good guys..no doubt~
God Bless America and we ALL need to personally shake the hand of or thank one single person who has answered the "call"~
Fly Old Glory proudly!!! Not just tomorrow, Veteran's Day, but every day weather permitting, be proud of what you are and who you are~
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Please know, my second-Favorite English Teacher (Sister Mary Ellen will always be my Favorite! :-)), that your calming influence, your brilliant tennis observations, and your outstanding sportsmanship IS changing these boards for the better.
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First the power of prayer IS amazing! Ida hit about 4 this morning, mostly dumping a lot of rain. Folks in low-lying areas took in about 12 inches into their homes. They always do, but feel that the risk for spectacular views of the water is worth it~ No one was hurt. We are inland and our community did have some high intermittent gusts (some recored at about 60-70 mph..) but nothing sustained!!! We had about 8 inches of rain too, but we are "high" so it runs off really well~ A few magnolia branches splinted and fell, no where near the house, just the little shed on back of our property had a couple of branches on top. That magnolia was one of a very few which has survived so many hurricanes. It's a beautiful old Southern tree.
NO damage whatsoever!!!!! Thank you Lord!!! Answered prayer for sure :-)
We only lost power for about 3 hours (as opposed to 19 DAYS with Ivan). THAT was a nightmare!
We are fine and feeling so grateful the "punch" was removed before she landed. What a huge blessing~I am personally calling that "punch" The Almighty~
Thank you, nightwing and topseedno1 for your thoughts and prayers~I FELT them :-)
Now about this other thing. I don't know what to say regarding all that. I still don't know, exactly, how to measure people's thinking on this electronic gizmo. It can be terribly deceiving.
I gave you that information because it was so horrific I simply was trying to let others know how horrible TRUE hatred can be to possible deter others about some really (as I see them) petty things. Because my dad's family was from Germany, I grew up having some really horrible things said about my family. Naturally MOST Germans were good, hard working, God fearing law-abiding people. Many did what they did out of fear. Hitler's retribution was swift and terrible!!!
Like most "mad-men" he was TOTALLY out of control and paranoid and even those closest to him were never safe from his insanity!!
Anyway, my grandfather had 2 sisters, both of whom were teachers, but they were outspoken (hummm, maybe that's where I get my head-head!) and both saw, early on, that Hitler was totally insane and was sending their beloved country & it's sons and daughters into ruin. Many of their students were "Youth for Hitler" so they made it THEIR mission to try to dissuade them from serving a barbaric dictator. They were arrested and one virtually disappeared. The other was sent to Buchenwald where she was subjected, with MANY others, to horrific medical experimentation. She didn't survive either. So my knowledge is personal therefore when my professor was relaying that story (to imprint on young minds how HORRIBLE it was) I can remember not only being repulsed, but taking a LOT of flack because of my German name. You can imagine~ All in all a not so good experience as a college student.
Thank you for your post John..it meant much to me. Both you and NW and your dogged determination to eradicate some of the filth and sub-human attacks is a good thing. I realize we ALL have our own way of doing things, but the why is certainly NOT lost on me~
I should not have even written what I did, it was knee-jerk on my part~I will certainly pay more attention in the future.
Thank you much~peace to you as well~
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Seriously - people calm down.
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You should have directed your concerns to Tracy(282) and June Brown(285) as they have been the perpetrators of Anti-Jewish hate in this thread. When I read their posts , I was shocked and deeply saddened that people who could profess to support a Black tennis player or any minority for that matter and be so callous in regards to the Jewish people. I can unequivocally state that neither of them are Christians. Christians understand that Jesus was a Jew and that all who accept Him become cultural and spiritual Jews. This is the truth.
I am asking you, Just me, to forgive them and pray for them for they know not what they do; also forgive Pete as she meant no harm.
Peace. johnp.
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If you have any moral integrity, you will come clean and be a blessing. You are a proclaimed believer in conservative politics so this should not be that difficult for you...or do you find it more satisfactory to continue the game?
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chocolate's melting..off your face.
or is that sh@t.""""""""......................should have gotten her/his @ss banned from yahoo!
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