Victoria Azarenka overcame diminutive qualifier Aleksandra Krunic, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, in Arthur Ashe Stadium Monday night, weathering the touch, variety, and occasional serving power of her foe to continue on toward a potential third straight U.S. Open final appearance. The Azarenka Show wasn't over, though, as she spoke with ESPN's Mary Jo Fernandez on court after her win, and beckoned the Ashe crowd to join her in singing "Happy Birthday" to her "best friend" Gael Monfils, who turned 28 Monday.
Asked by Hannah Storm back at the ESPN anchor desk outside Ashe Stadium, Fernandez, the nearest recipient of Azarenka's warbling, offered a winking rejoinder: "I think I prefer the grunting." This is hardly Azarenka's first foray into singing, as evidenced by her karaoke (scareoke?) turn alongside ex-paramour Redfoo and Serena Williams once upon a time.
Still, one trusts that the No. 16 seed at this U.S. Open won't quit her day (and night-session) job.
The scene was already amusing before Azarenka said, "Stadium, I beg you" and launched into her off-key song. The upstart player she beat, Krunic, had not left the court, and was sitting in her chair, seemingly waiting for Azarenka to finish the interview so they could walk off the court together. (That's a customary thing at the ITF events the 21-year-old Krunic has mostly played to date.) Thus, Krunic didn't stick to the unspoken protocol of leaving the court when one's vanquisher does a TV interview, and Azarenka didn't adhere to the unscripted knowledge that Ashe audiences don't really engage in things they don't want to do. The result turned out to be a golden television moment, and as Krunic, waving to the crowd, finally headed toward the tunnel that would swallow her up until next time, Azarenka stayed to sign a few autographs. It was unclear, though, for whom the crowd was truly cheering.
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