A foot fault.
A gasp from the audience.
A fight with the line judge.
No, I’m not talking about Serena William’s tirade from last year’s US Open match against Kim Clijsters.
A similar tantrum came from top 9 player Andy Roddick in his second match of this year’s grand slam after a judge faulted him for stepping over the base line when serving.
Instead of an ace, the penalty cost Roddick the point.
His tantrum is just one of the many talked about moments at this year’s US Open.
The tournament, held in Flushing Meadows, NY, has already attracted 400,000 fans, and, with the finals approaching this weekend, tennis fever just keeps getting hotter in the Big Apple.
The excitement among the always–rowdy New York crowd has not only come from the impressive serving and volleying, but the controversy on and off the courts.
Perhaps the most notorious moment in the tournament so far was Roddick’s behavior on Arthur Ashe Stadium last Wednesday. Although he wasn’t quite as threatening as Serena in his outburst at the line judge, Roddick’s conduct was still embarrassing and unprofessional. His frustration, he said, did not come from the call, but from the judge’s mistake in faulting the wrong foot.
The judge’s error prompted him to loudly defend his play and proceed to mock the lineswoman by demonstrating how he couldn’t possibly have moved his right foot when serving.
Roddick’s tirade did not directly cost him the match as Serena’s did, but it did affect his play. The highest-seeded American male was eventually defeated by his Serbian opponent, Janko Tipsarevic.
Another hostile moment occurred on court during the second round match between number 3 Novak Djokovic and Philipp Petzschner, but this time it wasn’t on the court.
The two players watched bewildered as a man and woman began to brawl in the stands.
The dispute apparently began after the man was accused of being disruptive while talking during points.
The two spectators were taken away by police and were temporarily restricted from attending the tournament.
Not all of the grand slam’s memorable moments have been hostile.
A few thrilling, early matches from promising young American players brought New York crowds to their feet.
Last year’s Cinderella story of the Open, Melanie Oudin, may have lost in the second round, but she won her first match in the midst of an excited atmosphere.
Teenager Ryan Harrison was the headline of the day last Friday as fans flocked to the grandstand to watch him battle number 36 player Sergiy Stakhovsky to a fifth set.
Eighteen–year–old Beatrice Kapra had a dream run of her own after defeating the number 18 seed, Arazane Rezai in the second round.
Kapra was outplayed, however, in her next match against the Russian Maria Sharapova.
Although these rising young players did not advance to the second week of the tournament, they certainly gave fans hope for a bright future in American tennis.
With any luck the players won’t get out of line themselves, for there can’t be many judges left to berate. There are, however, more fans…

Tune into CBS or ESPN this weekend to watch the women’s final Saturday night at 8 p.m.
The men’s final plays Sunday at 4:30 p.m.