David Leggat: Sorry's the hardest word for Serena

First the good news. Well, sort of. Serena Williams might yet be rubbed out of next year's United States Open for her vicious verbal assault on a line judge which got her red-carded from her semifinal against Kim Clijsters.

Don't hold your breath. The women's game is in poor shape and Williams provides star power.

But someone known as the Grand Slam Committee Administrator has opened an investigation on whether Williams' behaviour should be rated a "major offence", which can lead to further penalties.

Not that you would think the maximum fine of US$10,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct, and US$500 for racket abuse, would even constitute a punishment in the first place for a player who had already won US$350,000 for her singles results alone at the Open.

Article 5 of the Grand Slam rule book states that no one should engage in "aggravated behaviour" - described as "one incident of behaviour that is flagrant and particularly injurious to the success of a Grand Slam or is singularly egregious".

Punishments under that category can include a further fine of US$100,000 or prizemoney won at that tournament, whichever is greater, and suspension from one "or more" Grand Slams.

American Jeff Tarango was excluded from the 1996 Wimbledon tournament after walking off court in protesting a call the year before.

And if Williams' behaviour was not "aggravated" and "flagrant" then my dog's a cat.

Williams should cop a severe playing penalty, not a dollars and cents fine which she'd likely eat through on a routine night out in the Big Apple.

That ageing New York rooster John McEnroe defended Williams, while bagging the officials' call. There's a surprise. He had form as long as his arm in his playing career.

Thirty years ago, McEnroe and the hugely unpleasant Romanian Ilie Nastase, engaged in an ugly night at the US Open. After the umpire had penalised Nastase, with the feral crowd baying support for the player, he was replaced and Nastase reinstalled, to the events' eternal shame.

If an official is not to do his/her job, irrespective of the identity of who has infringed, what's the point of it all?

Williams should be slapped with a lengthy suspension as a reminder to all those impressionable young women wielding rackets and dreaming of Grand Slam glory.

And without delving too deeply into the whole role model issue, go to any park where kids have a ball and you'll see them apeing Dan Carter's kicking style, Shane Bond's bowling action, David Beckham's banana free-kicks.

You can't expect they'll ignore their heroes' uglier side.

Williams antics were rare. Compared with the days when the rascals ruled, it's a picnic for officials now. They have the technology, and ability to resolve contentious calls in the time it takes to run a slo-mo of ball and line.

If Williams hoped for sympathy, there wasn't much on offer yesterday. There was no apology forthcoming either, in the way most people do with use of a word like "sorry".

Even the morning after, a statement singularly failed to put that right. Williams should take a break and get some perspective. Or be told to take a long holiday.