Sets and the City

Manhattan has turned into a huge racket club this week as the players have descended upon the island to have a little fun before the final Grand Slam event of the year, the U.S. Open. (Who was that qualifier cruising me on the subway last night?)

Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal put their culinary skills to the test at the 8th Annual Dacor Taste of Tennis last night at the W Hotel in Midtown.

Maria Sharapova -- above with basketball star Steve Nash -- was the belle of the ball last night at an auction hosted by Land Rover. (Proceeds went to the Maria Sharapova Foundation.) Charity's great and all, but I was more interested in another attendee -- "Gossip Girl" cutie Chase Crawford, above left.

Earlier in the week Maria posed rather dramatically on top of the Rockefeller Center after a press conference for Nike.

And here we see what Venus Williams was busy doing during all those years when she wasn't playing tennis: the launch of her new athletic shoe and apparel line "Eleven" (the press conference was held at Steve & Barry's in Manhattan Mall, which I didn't even know had any stores left in it.) Look for Venus to be wearing her new duds during the Open.