Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Actor Alec Baldwin snags stray ball at U.S. Open

Alec Baldwin

AP Photo/Darron Cummings

Alec Baldwin watches the match between Maria Sharapova, of Russia, and Maria Kirilenko, of Russia, during the opening round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, in New York.

NEW YORK — Alec Baldwin took on a new role at the U.S. Open — the actor played a star athlete, snagging a stray ball that flew into the stands.

Baldwin was sitting in the front row behind the baseline Monday night when an out-of-bounds shot from Maria Kirilenko sailed over Maria Sharapova and bounced into the seats. He flawlessly fielded the ball on one hop.

"I don't play tennis well, but I can catch a slow-moving tennis ball," Baldwin told former star Pam Shriver of ESPN.

Rather than keep the tennis souvenir, Baldwin tossed it to a ball boy as the crowd cheered. Some of Baldwin's pals must have seen the grab, because he spent the next few minutes busy looking at his cellphone.

The "30 Rock" actor made his play four days after comedian Chris Rock wound up with a foul ball at Yankee Stadium in a game between the Houston Astros and New York Yankees. Rock gave that prize to a young boy.

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