BEHIND THE SPORTS DESK: Serena launches a grand slam

A SECOND set outburst from US tennis great Serena Williams landed the 23-time grand slam winner in hot water during the US Open final.

TENNIS: A second set outburst from US tennis great Serena Williams landed the 23-time grand slam winner in hot water during the US Open final.

Williams broke a racquet and fired abuse at chair umpire Carlos Ramos, after she was slogged with back-to-back code violations during her straight-sets loss to rising star Naomi Osaka.

The 36-year-old claimed she was the victim of sexism due to Ramos' unfair targeting.

But was the tennis great in the wrong, or did she have a point to make?

MOOSE ELKERTON: Williams outburst reveals 'ugly' truth about our game

TO CALL the incident involving Serena Williams in the US Open grand final a "meltdown" is to insult one of the greatest women to ever play the sport.

But it was a bit of a dummy spit, that's for sure.

While I far from agree with her actions, and am strongly of the opinion that you cannot abuse an official, there is a bit of ugly truth about what Williams had to say.

This is not the first time there has been discrepancies in the way in which mens and womens tennis is officiated.

Only earlier in the US Open France's Alize Cornet was hit with a 'code violation' for changing a shirt that had become unwearable.

Meanwhile Novak Djokovic sits bare-chested with his arms spread wide for close to half an hour against John Millman and nobody bats an eyelid.

While I don't believe any of the umpires are inherently sexist themselves, it calls into question the rules in the game.

Besides, coaching from the box, the rule that Williams violated in the first place, is draconian in itself.

Why shouldn't coaches be allowed to give their players tips from the sideline? They do it in every other sport.

Williams might have done the wrong thing, but she raises all the right points.

JARRARD 'POTTSY' POTTER: Chair umpire right to stick by his guns

THE fallout from Serena Williams' meltdown in the US Open final against Naomi Osaka has been almost as intense as the meltdown itself.

I can't help but think Williams brought much of this on herself. For a 23-time grand slam champion, I personally would have thought an umpire pinging her for a code violation for coaching wouldn't be enough to put her off her game.

The game was still there to be won by Williams, but instead of focusing on her game, she continued the tantrum, breaking her racquet and notching up another code violation, and then began a tirade against the umpire.

I don't care who you are, what sport you play, what gender, race or religion you are, there's no excuse for ever calling an official a liar, or threatening to "never be on a court of mine as long as you live".

The fact Williams called the umpire a "thief" shows an astounding arrogance if she thought an umpire's correct decision was enough to take away an entire match.

I know men smashing racquets has brought less punishment, but I don't want to see a race to the bottom in bad behaviour. All one umpire can do is judge what's before them, and making the right calls is exactly what he did.

Originally published as BEHIND THE SPORTS DESK: Serena launches a grand slam