A packed crowd turned out at Sportime Randall’s Island on Thursday night raise money for The Johnny Mac Tennis Project, John McEnroe’s charity that helps kids get involved in tennis from the recreational to the elite level.
Leading the action on the court was world No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic, who donated $10,000 of his own for a package to see Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers play this fall at Madison Square Garden.
“What John is doing with kids here is what tennis needs in every city,” Djokovic said. “He has had some elite success obviously with a young Wimbledon champion like Noah Rubin, bit to see all these kids from the city enjoying the game, that’s the most important part, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
McEnroe said he was grateful to Lundqvist for making the trip from Sweden early to join him for the night as well.
“Henrik is such a phenomenal athlete and a better person, and coming back here early to support us means a lot,” McEnroe said. “His tennis game is almost as good as what he does in net for the Rangers.”
“It would be a better game for me if the ball was a lot bigger,” actor Danny DeVito said jokingly, as he sat watching with Bennett Miller, director of “Moneyball,” and the upcoming wrestling film “Foxcatcher,” and tennis legends Boris Becker and Peter Fleming.
Miller and Devito were there to cheer on fellow actor Ed Norton, who teamed with Djokovic for the doubles match, won 9-8 by McEnroe and Lundqvist to round out the evening.
Open serves up many options for fans
U.S. Open fans get ready. There’s going to be plenty for you to do at the Flushing event.
At the American Express Fan Experience, there will be a Fan Court, where kids can play tennis, attend clinics and meet players such as Jack Sock, Sloane Stephens and Monica Puig, there also is an International Tennis Hall of Fame exhibit, where you can brush up on your tennis history.
Fans can get a swing analysis with a tennis professional. A Rally Cam was added this year which will show your swing from all angles in a 180-degree video file.
Located near the East Gate of the Flushing Meadows grounds, benefits for American Express card members include free radios to listen to all the action and the ability to take a picture with a hologram of Stephens.
Members also will have access to a club within the Fan Experience, which will offer drinks, entertainment and phone-charging stations.
Slime time for Cyclones fans
The Brooklyn Cyclones and Nickelodeon are joining forces present The ’90s Are All That Night, when the Cyclones take on the Staten Island Yankees on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Kel Mitchell, star of iconic Nickelodeon ’90s shows “All That” and “Kenan & Kel,” will throw out the first pitch. Cyclones players will be wearing one-of-a-kind orange, Nickelodeon-, “Double Dare”-themed jerseys — complete with slime. The jerseys will be raffled off on the field after the game. All proceeds will benefit the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association (ALSA).
The evening also will feature appearances by characters Angelica Pickles, Tommy Pickles and Chuckie Finster from the Nickelodeon animated classic “Rugrats,” who will be on hand for photos.
Hoops camps Nets big names
Nets star Brook Lopez and new coach Lionel Hollins will attend the first Brooklyn Nets Hamptons Basketball Camp Powered by DRIBBL, which will be held Monday-Friday at the Southampton Town Recreation Center. The camp is open to youngsters from pre-K to eighth grade.
In addition to Lopez and Hollins, Nets rookie Cory Jefferson is scheduled to attend on Tuesday and former Nets star Albert King will attend on Wednesday.
‘Seth’ show books stars
First-year University of Texas football coach Charlie Strong, Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III and Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully headline a roster of star-studded guests as the second season of “The Seth Davis Show” premieres on Thursday exclusively on Campus Insiders.
Hosted by veteran broadcaster, writer and author Seth Davis, the show, backed by Cadillac, features in-depth interviews with some of the biggest personalities in sports and entertainment. Each of the 35 episodes will first air on Thursdays throughout the school year and will be available via video-on-demand at the Campus Insiders website: http://www.campusinsiders.com.
“When we launched The Seth Davis Show, I described this as a show featuring ‘smart conversations with interesting people,’ ” Davis said. “While our main focus will remain on college sports, in year two we are going to widen the lens in an effort to expose our viewers to variety of high-profile guests who have led fascinating lives.”