Take Doubles Title Without a Fuss to Williams Sisters

FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y. Serena Williams made a exultant return to Arthur Ashe Stadium Monday afternoon, teaming with sister Venus to win the U.S. Open's women's doubles title two days after her campaign to defend her 2008 singles title ended in controversy.
The Williams sisters routed the world's top doubles team, Cara Black and Liezel Huber, 6-2, 6-2, before a sparse crowd to claim three of the season's four Grand Slam event crowds.
Venus and Serena opened 2009 by winning the Australian Open doubles title, and they crushed Black Huber in the semifinals en route to the Wimbledon crowd, as well.
But both sisters fell short of their goal in singles play. Venus lost in the fourth round to eventual champion Kim Clijsters.
Serena's ouster came two rounds later when she was assessed a point penalty on match point for her profanity laced tirade against a lineswoman who cited her for a foot fault with Clijsters two points from victory.
The foot fault handed Clijsters, who had outplayed Serena throughout, a match point.
But after getting a new ball to serve, Serena walked instead toward the lineswoman. Shaking a ball in her face, she spewed a stream of profanities and told the woman that, if she could, she would shove the ball down her throat.
Monday, before she and Venus were due to return to Ashe to compete in the women's doubles final, Serena issued an amended statement that unlike the earlier statement she issued Sunday included an apology to the lineswoman and reflected remorse for her behavior. It read:
"I need to better my press statement of yesterday, and need to make it clear as possible I need to sincerely apologize FIRST to the lines woman, Kim Clijsters, the USTA and mostly tennis fans everywhere for my inappropriate outburst. I'm a woman of great pride, faith and unity, and I admit when I'm wrong. I need to make it clear to all young people that I handled myself unsuitably and it's not the way to act win or lose, good call or bad call in any sport, in any manner.
"I like to lead by example. We all learn from experiences both good and bad, I will learn and grow from this, and be a better person as a result."
With no more than 1,000 in the stands when Serena walked on court for the doubles match, it was difficult to read much meaning into the reaction, which consisted of scattered applause and no audible disparaging remarks.