By Amy Tennery
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Top seed Iga Swiatek got a boost for her fourth-round match against Liudmila Samsonova at the U.S. Open on Monday as the star of one of her favourite TV shows “Ted Lasso” showed up to watch her at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The annual celebrity invasion is in full swing at the year’s final major, where Vogue editor Anna Wintour and comedic actor Ben Stiller are regulars, and Swiatek was thrilled to see “Ted Lasso” lead Jason Sudeikis in the stands for her 6-4 6-1 win.
“I actually tried to avoid looking at the screens, but I saw him tonight when I was looking at the chair umpire,” said Swiatek, who added that she appreciates the Apple TV show’s message of “positivity.”
“I wanted to stay focused and I hope he appreciates my mentality because this is what ‘Ted Lasso’ is all about.”
It was the second time the world number one found herself feeling a little star struck at Flushing Meadows.
The Pole also spoke to 23-times major winner Serena Williams, who returned to the tournament for the first time two years after playing her final match at Arthur Ashe.
“It was nice that she approach me, because I wouldn’t, for sure, find courage to do that if it was the other way,” Swiatek said.
Not all competitors are quite so reserved, however.
After his fourth-round win over Alexei Popyrin, American Frances Tiafoe took the microphone from the on-court interviewer to address Tony Goldwyn, a star from the TV show “Scandal”, who was in the crowd.
“I’m a huge fan of you, bro,” Tiafoe said, gesturing toward Goldwyn. “Me and my girl used to watch ‘Scandal’ all the time.”
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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