Twirl-Gate? Serena Unhappy With Interviewer's Request At Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia (CBSNewYork/AP) — To twirl or not to twirl? This is now a question at the Australian Open.

Social media has erupted with reaction to Eugenie Bouchard being asked by an on-court interviewer to "give us a twirl" and show off her tennis dress after winning her second-round match.

Some called the request by a male presenter sexist. Many on Twitter wondered if a man would be asked to twirl after winning a match.

Serena Williams suspects not.

"I wouldn't ask Rafa or Roger to twirl," Williams said Thursday, referring to Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Williams was asked to twirl, too, by the same presenter a day earlier.

"I didn't really want to twirl because I was just like, you know, I don't need all the extra attention," said the No. 1-ranked player who is aiming to win her 19th Grand Slam singles title.

She preferred not to enter the debate of whether the request was sexist.

"Life is far too short to focus on that," she said. "Whether I twirl or not, it's not the end of the world."

Anyway, Williams said she always twirls. After winning matches, she walks back to court and twirls with a wave to thank the crowd. She's taking dance class, too.

"I twirl all the time in dance class," she said. "I really have to work on my spotting. My coach tells me to whip my head around."

On Wednesday, Bouchard told her post-match news conference the twirl request was "very unexpected."

On Twitter, Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Gay said he'd call it "tacky & creepy."

"I don't know, an old guy asking you to twirl. It was funny," said Bouchard.

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