The rain-stricken end stage of the US Open ‘09 Semifinals finally began today but came to an abrupt end with what was one of the most peculiar losses in the history of the final Grand Slam of the Year. In a very bizarre finish, Serena Williams was penalized for verbal abuse that cost her the entire match and pushed the come-backing Kim Clijsters to the Finals.

While serving 5-6, 15-30 on her second serve, down one set already to Clijsters, Serena was called for a foot fault by the lineswoman to bring Kim to double match-point. Serena seemed relatively calm at first but suddenly walked directly to the lineswoman and started hurling expletives and pointed her racket at the fearful judge.

When she finished her tirade, the lineswoman informed the chair umpire of what the disgusted Serena had said to her and it was deemed to fall under verbal abuse. And as the rules state, you are penalized for it. And as such, Serena Williams not only foot-faulted her way to a 15-40 match point deficit, she also automatically lost the set and the match because of the verbal abuse penalty she was given. It was the second warning that cost her a point after she broke her racket earlier in the match. The final score, Clijsters over Williams in 2 sets, 6-4, 7-5, in what was just a terrible way to end a very good match-up between two of the finest players in the world.

Thus, the former US Open Champion Kim Clijsters, coming off a long layoff due to giving birth to a child, is now one step away from successfully coming back with a vengeance by moving on to the Finals facing the Dane Caroline Wozniacki, who just beat her compatriot Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium. She was also able to trump the two Williams’ sisters en route to the Finals. This should put her right back on the map in women’s tennis and I’m predicting she’s going to be the Number 1 women’s player in 2010, mark my words!