Canadian star Eugenie Bouchard is content to let her tennis do the talking at the Australian Open after being drawn into a sexism row.
An international storm of controversy erupted after a male reporter asked her to do a twirl to show off her outfit following her second-round victory, but an unfazed Bouchard can still see the lighter side of the situation.
“Personally I’m not offended,” Bouchard said after defeating Caroline Garcia to advance to the fourth round.
“”No, I think it was an in-the-moment thing and it was funny.
“But, yeah, I mean, it’s just funny how it’s taken a life of its own. I’m just going to try to focus on my tennis.
World No.1 Serena Williams said it wouldn’t be okay for Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal to be asked to do a twirl on court.
But Bouchard suggested, tongue in cheek, that it would be fine for female tennis players to be subjected to such requests as long as the men were too.
“I’m fine with being asked to twirl if they ask the guys to flex their muscles and stuff,” said the Wimbledon runner-up.
It’s not the first time Bouchard has been on the end of a bizarre line of questioning.
She was asked who her ideal date would be at last year’s Australian Open, to which she replied ‘Justin Bieber’.
“They try to ask funny questions,” Bouchard said.
“It’s entertaining, I guess. I don’t mind it. People can think what they want about it.
“But I just answer how I want and do what I want.”
The 20-year-old will face unseeded Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu next round as she looks to back up her run to last year’s semi-finals.
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