Alec Baldwin Slickly Catches Ball At The US Open: ’30 Rock’ Star Wows Crowd and Supports Tennis At Maria Sharapova Match

It was just another day at the Open for Alec Baldwin. The "30 Rock" actor and tennis enthusiast wowed the US Open crowd on Monday at Arthur Ashe Stadium when he effortlessly caught a stray ball during a match between Maria Kirilenko and Maria Sharapova.

Baldwin made the stellar catch from his front row seat, showing his support for the sport of tennis in a Jack Donaghy-worthy suit.

"I don't play tennis well, but I can catch a slow-moving tennis ball," Baldwin told ESPN's Pam Shriver when asked about his attention-grabbing courtside moment.

It was when Kirilenko swatted a ball over fellow Russian player Sharapova's head that Baldwin seized his moment, his face calm as he caught the ball just before it hit his wife Hilaria. Baldwin then raised the ball for all to see and smoothly tossed it back onto the court.

Sharapova went on to beat her former doubles partner Kirilenko, winning the match in two sets: 6-4, 6-0. Baldwin chose to attend the Monday night match instead of appearing at the 2014 Emmys in Los Angeles.

Baldwin previously won two primetime Emmys for his portrayal of Donaghy in "30 Rock." However, he decided to forgo the award show to sit front and center at tournament where he has become a staple.

Earlier this week, the tennis fan showed his support for the US Open on Twitter, retweeting a photo of himself with a member of the USTA Foundation. The hashtag read: #servingupdreams.

After Monday's matches, the Open thanked Baldwin on Twitter, along with several other stars who came out for the opening night gala. The big name supporters included celebrity fitness trainer Shaun T. and CBS This Morning co-host Gayle King.

Tags
Alec Baldwin
Maria Sharapova
US Open 2014
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