Serena Gets 3-Year Suspended Ban

Serena Williams

has been fined and given a suspended three-year ban from the US Open for her tirade at a line judge at Flushing Meadows.

The American, 28, verbally abused an official after a foot-fault call which gave Kim Clijsters a match point in their semi-final this year.

The world number one will incur the ban if she commits any further "major offence" before the end of 2011.

In that case, her fine will also double to £106,000.

After the match in September, Williams was fined £6,000, which has been included in the latest penalty of £53,000.

The fine, a quarter of the £212,000 Williams received for reaching the semi-finals, still tops the previous highest Grand Slam fine of £38,000 given to Jeff Tarango in 1995.

After the incident, Williams released an initial statement, which did not include a straight apology, but later said she wanted to "sincerely apologise" for her behaviour.

"I need to make it clear to all young people that I handled myself inappropriately," she said.

"It's not the way to act - win or lose, good call or bad call in any sport, in any manner."

The International Tennis Federation's Grand Slam Committee met last week to agree on a punishment.

It found her guilty of "the Grand Slam major offence of aggravated behaviour".

Williams was trailing 6-4 6-5 and serving at 15-30 when the baseline judge called a foot-fault on a second serve.

That prompted the American to walk over to the official, using her racquet to gesture angrily as she verbally abused her.

The official reported what she had heard to the umpire, and Williams, who had earlier been warned for racquet abuse, was eventually given a point penalty - handing Clijsters the match.