The tweet was quickly deleted. Photo / Getty/Supplied
The tweet was quickly deleted. Photo / Getty/Supplied
A Florida woman has entered the social media fails Hall of Fame after incorrectly accusing a tennis journalist of sexism.
Portuguese scribe Jose Morgado tweeted a standard wrap-up of Serena Williams' win against Tsvetana Pironkova in the US Open quarterfinals on Thursday.
The tweet was quickly deleted. Photo / Getty/Supplied
"Serena Williams plays two great sets, comes back from a set and break down to beat Tsvetana Pironkova 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 and reach a 14th #USOpen semi-final," Morgado wrote. "39th Grand Slam semi-final as well. What a run Tsveti had … Williams vs Azarenka or Mertens tomorrow."
Wrong according to Kelly, whose bio describes her as "Team Joe" and a "defender and over-user of the First Amendment".
"Kinda sexist with saying she had a break down," Kelly replied. "Do you talk about men athletes in this manner?"
Morgado could only laugh at the tweet, which was quickly deleted but not before being shared widely on social media.
"I receive a lot of replies, but this one was the best of the day (so far)," he wrote. "She came back from a SET and a BREAK (of serve) down. It would be sexist if men didn't come back from set & break disadvantages day in, day out."
Williams raised the topic of sexism in tennis after her meltdown in the 2018 US Open final, where she was penalised for on-court coaching, smashing her racket and calling chair umpire Carlos Ramos a "thief".
"I'm here fighting for women's rights and for women's equality. For me to say thief and for him to take a game, it made me feel like it was sexist," Williams said after losing the match to Naomi Osaka.
"He's never taken a game from a man because they said thief. For me, it blows my mind. But I'm going to continue to fight for women and to fight for us to have equal rights."
She received support from fellow female players past and present.
Serena Williams has been on fire. Photo / AP
Multiple grand slam winner Victoria Azarenka said: "If it was a men's match, this wouldn't happen like this. It just wouldn't."
US tennis legend Billie Jean King also criticised the language used to describe Williams' eruption.
"When a woman is emotional, she's 'hysterical' and she's penalised for it. When a man does the same, he's 'outspoken' and there are no repercussions," King tweeted.
