NO. 1 FEDERER LOOSES TO NO. 6 DEL POTRO

Juan Martin del Potro dethroned five-time defending champion Roger Federer 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 to capture the US Open on Monday, ending an era to win in his first Grand Slam final.

Having to watch it last night I thought it would be a cruise for world no. 1 Federer after cruising 3-6 in the first set, but at the middle of the second set you could feel the intensity of del Potro rising. Federer was two points from taking the second set in the 10th game before Del Potro fought back to break and took the tie-break to equalize.

"That one cost me the match maybe," Federer said. "I thought I had him under control for the first two sets. I was in a great position. If I had won that second set, I think I would have come through, but I didn't."

Federer struggled with his first-serve percentage, hitting only 50 percent for the match to 65 percent for Del Potro and converting only 5-of-22 break chances.

Del Potro fired 37 forehand winners, 17 more than Federer.

The loss ended Federer's 40 straight wins at Flushing Meadows and the quest to become the first person to win six straight titles at America's Grand Slam since Bill Tilden in the 1920s.

SERENA FINED $10,000 FOR HER OUTBURST

I think it was uncalled for, although the game was highly fought by the two ladies, intensities are at a high level. But she should not have given to her emotion's. There are plenty of kids and players that look up to her.

Serena Williams’ US Open title defense ended in bizarre, ugly fashion Saturday night, when she was penalized a point on match point after yelling and shaking her racket in the direction of an official who called a foot fault.

Williams lost to unseeded, unranked Kim Clijsters of Belgium, 6-4, 7-5, in a taut semifinal.

US Open tournament referee Brian Earley said in a statement Sunday that Williams has been levied the maximum possible fine for unsportsmanlike conduct, $10,000, plus a $500-fine for racquet abuse.

The fine is a mere pittance, even at maximum strength, since Williams received 375,000-dollar for her semifinal run at Flushing Meadows, her matches among the top drawing cards for ticket buyers and television viewers.

US television commentator Pam Shriver called for 11-time Grand Slam champion Williams to apologize for threatening the woman who called a foot fault upon the reigning champion to give Clijsters two match points.

Williams reacted by walked toward the woman who made the call, waving her racquet before her, and launching into a profanity-tinged tirade that led to an unsportsmanlike conduct violation.

Because Williams had already received a warning after smashing her racquet following the last point of the first set, the penalty point she was assessed handed Clijsters a berth in Sunday's final.

Williams will return to Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday afternoon to join her sister Venus in the US Open women's doubles final against top seeds Cara Black of Zimbabwe and American Liezel Huber.

Clijsters hadn’t competed at the US Open since winning the 2005 championship. Now she will play for her second career major title Sunday against No. 9 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.