James McOnie from Sky News - holding 'I am NOT a stalker' sign. Photo / Supplied
Game, set - but no match. Maria Sharapova's so-called New Zealand "stalker" has apparently left the glamorous tennis star in peace.
Sky Television's James McOnie pre-empted any prospect of being barred from the Australian Open by adopting a low profile yesterday.
McOnie was not seen at grand slam headquarters in
Melbourne yesterday and had reportedly returned to Auckland, meaning former world No 1 Sharapova can expect to front a standard post-match press conference after her scheduled second-round match against Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano today.
The Russian had been trailed by McOnie - a reporter for the zany sports news programme The Crowd Goes Wild - since she made her first appearance in New Zealand as the ASB Classic's drawcard in Auckland this month.
McOnie surprised her in Melbourne last weekend, asking if she had spent time with compatriot and fellow tennis pin-up Anna Kournikova, and whether she frequented a club for "hot Russians".
That exchange prompted Sharapova to lightheartedly accuse McOnie of stalking her, to which he jokingly replied: "It's not stalking if you love someone."
"It can be slightly, trust me," she said.
Sharapova assumed that was the end of the banter but McOnie piped up again in the press conference room on Monday after her opening-round straight sets win over Thailand's Tamarine Tanasurgan.
Near the end of the conference McOnie denied he was a stalker while holding a cardboard sign professing his innocence.
"I don't know why you're here," Sharapova said.
"That shouldn't have happened. You even have a sign. Oh, goodness, that's wrong."
Tournament officials were considering how to deal with McOnie's offbeat line of questioning yesterday - an option was to cancel his media accreditation.
A spokesman was unsure if any media protocols had been breached though McOnie's displaying the sign could be a "sticking point".
Sky Television spokesman Tony O'Brien described communication between McOnie and Sharapova as simply a "humorous interaction".
"That's the style [of the show]. It's very tongue-in-cheek," he said.
One American commentator, Larry Brown, described the situation as "ridiculously creepy".
McOnie commented on his Facebook page: "Larry Brown is an egg. It's clearly a joke."
- NZPA, staff reporter
