New York celebrities show up in force at the U.S. Open, which kicked off this week. Alec Baldwin was there on Monday night, checking out a match between Maria Sharapova and Maria Kirilenko. During the match, Baldwin impressed the crowd when he caught a stray ball.
Kirilenko hit the ball back to Sharapova, but it sailed over her head, bouncing out of bounds and into the stands. Baldwin was sitting in the front row (perks of being a celebrity) and caught the ball easily.
“I don't play tennis well, but I can catch a slow-moving tennis ball,” the former 30 Rock star told ESPN’s Pam Shriver. Baldwin was sitting next to his wife, Hilaria Baldwin.
Baldwin threw the ball back to the ball boy, which got an applause from the crowd.
For those that care about the cation on the court, Sharapova, who is seeded fifth in the women’s tournament, did beat Kirilenko, 6-4, 6-0, notes The New York Times. Kirilenko is also from Russia and the two are close friends and even former doubles partners.
“I’ve learned a lot. I know what to expect, I know the waiting game a little bit better than I did when I was a junior or a teenager,” the 2006 U.S. Open women’s champion told the Times. “Now I really enjoy it. You feel the goose bumps when you go out.”
You can watch Baldwin’s catch here:
image courtesy of INFphoto.com, credit: Larry Marano