Can Williams get a tax break for her tirade?

It was the tirade heard 'round the tennis world.

U.S. Open Champion Serena Williams, in the midst of defending her titled against the unseeded, unranked Kim Clijsters, faulted on her serve in the second set. On the second serve, Williams was called for a foot fault (which replays indicated might not have been the proper call), making it a double-fault. The double-fault changed the entire game.

Williams went back to serve again -- and didn't. Instead, she stopped and walked over to the line judge, shouting at her, cursing and waving her racket and ball. Williams allegedly threatened the line judge, screaming, "I swear to God I'm f****** going to take this f****** ball and shove it down your f****** throat, you hear that? I swear to God."

The line judge, whose name has been withheld by the USTA, then went over to the chair umpire. After a conversation, the chair umpire awarded a penalty point to Clijsters, which ended the game.

The outburst initially resulted in a $10,000 onsite fine from the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) for Williams' bad behavior. It was the maximum onsite penalty that could have been imposed.