10th Annual BNP Paribas Taste of Tennis

I've been out of town for the past couple of days so I haven't been able to update some of the pre-US Open events that took place over the weekend.

In a quick update, let's start off with the 10th annual BNP Paribas Taste of Tennis, which is famous for its food, drink and celebrities.

Held at the W Hotel, and the Food Bank for New York, it has some of the biggest names in tennis including Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt, Billie Jean King, Sam Groth, Vera Zvonareva, Fernando Gonzalez, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, David Ferrer and Asia's very own Rendy Lu Yen-hsun.

Roddick mixing drinks with Natural Food Chef Bethany Frankel.

Left to right - Chef Ariane Duarte, Jo-Willy, newscaster Hannah Storm and chef Carla Hall.

HCFoo's favourite, Rendy Lu serves up a tennis-themed cake :D

David Ferrer

Vera Zvonareva

Fernando Gonzalez

(Images by Donald Bowers/Getty Images North America)

Andy Roddick: Birthday in NYC with wifey Brooklyn Decker

Celebrating his 27th birthday, Andy Roddick was spotted out and about in NYC with his wifey, Sports Illustrated model Brooklyn Decker.

The couple stopped off for some coffee during their city stroll.

Earlier, Roddick voiced his disappointment after the Tennis Integrity Unit has put regulations on the Twitter rights of players.

Roddick tweeted, “I think its lame the US Open is trying to regulate our tweeting. I understand the on-court issue but not sure they can tell us if we can’t do it on our own time … we’ll see.”

Tennis Integrity Unit warned players about using Twitter away from the court, as they could potentially send out “certain sensitive information” about the matches.

(Via sports.sina.com.cn)

Astro SuperSport+ (Channel 816): US Open LIVE

In the next two weeks, Astro SuperSport+ (channel 816) will be showing the US Open LIVE (31 Aug - 14 September 2009).

Here are the event highlights:

31 Aug 2300 Day 1: Day Session: Men's & Women's 1st Round (Live)
01 Sep 0700 Day 1: Evening Session: Men's & Women's 1st Round (Live)
01 Sep 2300 Day 2: Day Session: Men's & Women's 1st Round (Live)
02 Sep 0700 Day 2: Evening Session: Men's & Women's 1st Round (Live)
02 Sep 2300 Day 3: Day Session: Men's 1st Round & Women's 2nd Round (Live)
03 Sep 0700 Day 3: Evening Session: Men's 1st Round & Women's 2nd Round (Live)
03 Sep 2300 Day 4: Day Session: Men's & Women's 2nd Round (Live)
04 Sep 0700 Day 4: Evening Session: Men's & Women's 2nd Round (Live)
04 Sep 2300 Day 5: Day Session: Men's 2nd Round & Women's 3rd Round (Live)
05 Sep 0700 Day 5: Evening Session: Men's 2nd Round & Women's 3rd Round (Live)
05 Sep 2300 Day 6: Day Session: Men's & Women's 3rd Round (Live)
06 Sep 0700 Day 6: Evening Session: Men's & Women's 3rd Round (Live)
06 Sep 2300 Day 7: Day Session: Men's 3rd Round & Women's Round of 16 (Live)
07 Sep 0700 Day 7: Evening Session: Men's 3rd Round & Women's Round of 16 (Live)
07 Sep 2300 Day 8: Day Session: Men's & Women's Round of 16 (Live)
08 Sep 0700 Day 8: Evening Session: Men's & Women's Round of 16 (Live)
08 Sep 2300 Day 9: Day Session: Men's Round of 16 & Women's Quarter Finals (Live)
09 Sep 0700 Day 9: Evening Session: Men's Round of 16 & Women's Quarter Finals (Live)
09 Sep 2300 Day 10: Day Session: Men's & Women's Quarter Finals (Live)
10 Sep 0700 Day 10: Evening Session: Men's & Women's Quarter Finals (Live)
10 Sep 2300 Day 11: Day Session: Men's Quarter Finals & Mixed Doubles Final (Live)
11 Sep 0700 Day 11: Evening Session: Men's Quarter Finals & Women's Doubles Semi Finals (Live)
12 Sep 0000 Day 12: Day Session: Women's Semi Finals & Men's Doubles Final (Live)
13 Sep 0000 Day 13: Day Session: Men's Semi Finals (Live)
13 Sep 0800 Day 13: Women's Final (Live)
14 Sep 0000 Day 14: Women's Doubles Final (Live)
14 Sep 0415 Day 14: Men's Final (Live)

To subscribe to Astro Sports Package, please call the Astro Customer Service Center at toll-free 1300-82-3838.

Playing in Arthur Ashe Stadium on the opening day includes Kim Clijsters, Serena Williams and Roger Federer.

The night session will feature Venus Williams against Vera Dushevina, followed by Andy Roddick against Bjorn Phau.

(Via Astro website)

Fernando Verdasco, Caroline Wozniacki win US Open final tune-up

Fernando Verdasco won his first title of the season and third of his career on Saturday defeating American Sam Querrey 6-4, 7-6 (6) at the Pilot Pen tennis championship.

Meanwhile, in the women's singles Caroline Wozniacki won her second consecutive beating Elena Vesnina 6-2, 6-4 in the final tune-up for the U.S. Open.

Wozniacki’s championship was her sixth, third this year.

In men's the doubles final, Jurgen Melzer and Julian Knowle took down Bruno Soared and Kevin Ullyett 6-4, 7-6 (3).

In the women's doubles final, Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez defeated defeated Iveta Benesova and Lucie Hradecka, 6-2, 7-5.

(Via AP; Images via Yahoo! Sports)