Serena Williams is Fired, umm Fined...

Finally, Serena Williams must have breathed a sigh of relief. For her outburst at the US Open 3 months back, she's off the hook with - "just" an $82,500 fine and a 2 year probation period at Grand Slam events. Though that sum is bigger than my annual paycheck after taxes, it's actually a teeny weeny bit over 0.5% of Serena's 14 million earnings from the previous year. And, given that she scared a tournament official with her outburst (boy, I still can remember her face), plus she denied the public a good ending and Kim Clijsters a well earned victory, she should be thankful that the punishment was not anything more severe.

If Serena makes a similar outburst in the next 2 years, the fine would increase to $175,000 and she would be barred from the next US Open tournament. But, let's say she behaves very well in the next 8 grand slams, what would happen then when Serena threatens anyone on court again come the Australian Open in 2012? It's highly unlikely that such would happen. Unless perhaps, it's deep in the 3rd set against Justine Henin in the finals and someone calls another foot fault.