Record Attendance for Award Ceremony for I Hate Tennis' US Open Cake Winner

Beth Allen does a Rafa and bites her trophy. I get out of the way. Photo: Mark HilanWorthy Opponent Beth Allen collected her historic double-cake winnings in the 2012 I Hate Tennis US Open Cake Contest last night in Brooklyn, before a record crowd of 14 avid tennis fans and I Hate Tennis readers. The official presentation, conducted in the Sunset Park home of USTA League Women's 3.0 co-captain Deb Fantera, benefitted from its pairing with Fantera's party celebrating the beginning of the Ballbuster's indoor season later this month.

The attendance record edged out the previous one set at the ceremony for Caitlin Thompson, the winner last May of the 2012 French Open I Hate Tennis Cake Contest Women's Bracket.  The presentation for Allen also was noteworthy for the high number of tennis lovers in the room who appreciated her winning predictions of a Victoria Azarenka/Serena Williams final and an Andy Murray/Novak Djokovic championship match.

Thompson's audience, meanwhile, at the WNYC Newsroom, consisted of people who appreciated free food.

It was chilly last night, but our band of merry tennis Haters were transported back to the sunny and hot days of late August with fond memories of the US Open.  Or was that flush on everyone's cheeks due to the blood sugar spike from the cakes?  Partying Haters had their choice of apple spice cake or devil's food cake.

The spectators gasped in anticipation as I pulled out two big, square brown boxes from an extra-large white plastic bag.

"Have you gone big time and created your own logo and brand?" Allen asked as she saw the logo stamped on the sturdy boxes.  Haters, you may recall that I baked the cakes for Thompson and French Open I Hate Tennis Cake Contest men's bracket winner Surinder Singh.  

That's Devil's food on the left, apple spice on the right. The sentiment: Beth Allen, you're a winner....two times over!

Once I cracked open the boxes, it became obvious I did not bake these cakes.  Just look at them.  No cracks or slouching frosting.  I subbed Ivy Bakery in Greenwich Village for the task.

Where's this frosting slouching off to? Not to French Open victory.Now THIS is an I Hate Tennis Contest Cake! Chocolate truffle eyeballs save this cake from decorating disaster.Haters, before you start complaining to the chair ump, let me remind you substitutions are completely legal under World Team Tennis rules. 

Congratulations again to Beth Allen, and thanks to all who participated in the contest.  You make blogging fun.  And tennis, too.  The Ballbusters' indoor season starts October 27th.  

The I Hate Tennis US Open Cake Contest

This, too, can be yours. I love (and hate) cake almost as much as I love (and hate) tennis.  Frosting!  Ooh.  Calories! Ugh.  You get the picture.

Indulge in both passions by entering the I Hate Tennis US Open 2012 Cake Contest!

Fill out your bracket for the men here, and for the women here.  To get to the bracket form, click on the "Submit Your Picks Now! arrow under the banner, SUBMISSION WINDOW OPEN.

It's easier, and faster, to work your way backward from the finals to the first round matches.  The computer fills in the brackets automatically that way.  It takes a little while to figure out the Tourneytopia bracket program, but here's some motivation for you.

Cake.  Caaaake.  CakeCakeCakeCakeCake.  Red Velvet. Chocolate with dark chocolate frosting.  Yellow cake with caramel frosting.  Coca Cola cake.  Whatever.  I'll make it for you and present it in your own awards ceremony.  You can even lift it over your head, like the pros do, and take a bite out of it (a real one) like Rafael Nadal does.

Just do it.  And I don't mean put on your Nikes and go for a run.  Plunk yourself in front of your computer and enter a competition to win a CAKE.

CakeCakeCakeCakeCakeCake!

My prediction: Andy Murray, filled with confidence in his new, aggressive game from his Olympic gold medal victory over Roger Federer, wins his first major at the US Open.  He beats Novak Djokovic in the final.  Check out my path to a Murray/Djoko final here.

For the women, I have Petra Kvitova beating Serena Williams in a tough 3-setter.  I'm rooting for a Kvitova/Victoria Azarenka and Williams/Angelique Kerber semifinals.  Check out the rest of my picks here.

Most important, I want to see YOUR picks and bake a cake for you!  So, c'mon, enter.  Give me something to blog about.  

Picks are due before 11:00 AM Monday, August 27th, when the first round starts at Flushing Meadows.  Enjoy the US Open.

French Open Cake Contest Winner Chooses Chocolate

French Open men's bracket winner Surinder Singh, triumphant with his chocolate cake.Worthy Opponent and I Hate Tennis' French Open Men's Bracket Cake Contest winner Surinder Singh played a high-percentage move in his cake selection, and went with chcolate.

You can't lose with a chocolate cake with bittersweet chocolate ganache frosting.  I put a little chipotle chili powder in the frosting for oomph.

Maybe if I sprinkle some on my tennis racquet....?

Singh reported that the cake was "amazing."  

"I am a chocolate addict and could have had a big slice of that cake every day!" he said.

Haters, my plan is to get Surinder in such a sugar haze that he won't be able to concentrate, and will start missing those lasers down the line that he routinely blows past me at net.

Now, how can I get the cake into my tennis bag?  See more photos in my gallery.

Wimbledon 2012: I Hate Tennis Cake Contest Now Open!

Novak Djokovic, winning Wimby last year. Courtesy AELTC.Haters, dust off those crystal balls.  Wimbledon begins on Monday, and it's time to enter the I Hate Tennis Wimbledon 2012 Cake Contest!

Fill out your brackets for the women's draw here, and the men's draw here. Do it multiple times.  I'm going to fill out one with a highly likely scenario (e.g., a Djokovic-Nadal final) and a wildly unlikely scenario (e.g, Rafael Nadal doesn't make it to the quarterfinals, or something else that's the tennis equivalent of the sun not rising).  

Here's one long-shot: Andy Murray, Wimbledon finalist.  Have you seen his draw?  BBC Sport detailed his possible path to the championship match, and it's filled with upset possibilities, starting with the first round against former world number 3 Nikolay Davydenko. After that, Murray could face Richard Gasquet, David Ferrer and Nadal.

Maria Sharapova has an easy go of it until the quarters, when she could find herself in a rematch of last year's semifinal against Sabine Lisicki.  Sharapova won that, 6-4, 6-3, but it took her three sets to get the best of Lisicki in the Australian Open's Round of 16 last January. Who dares to pick Lisicki to beat Sharapova?

Other fun things to think about:

• How far will Andy Roddick get before he tanks?  He's likely out against David Ferrer in the 3rd round, but who's willing to say he will blow up before then? 
• What about Venus Williams?  She's 32 and has an auto-immune disease.  But she's reached the finals 8 times in the last 11 years, winning the championship five times. 
• And Serena? She's won 4 times, most recently in 2010.  She's Tennis.com writer Stephen Tignor's pick.
• Sara Errani was a dark horse in the French Open, in which she was the runner-up.  Who are the dark horses here?  How about Angelique Kerber, who's coming on strong, making her top 20 debut in February and her top 10 debut in May? Or, on the men's side, big server Milos Raonic?  In his first appearance at Wimbledon last year, he retired in the second round against Gilles Muller because of a right hip injury.  He's all better now.....

John Isner, Nicholas Mahut, 2nd round.  I think the psychological weight of their historic, record-breaking 2010 match will weigh more heavily on John, who finally eked out the win.  Down goes Isner.

Such tempting scenarios.  But even more tempting is the strawberries-and-cream CAKE I'll bake you if you win either the women's or men's brackets.  Fill out your forms! And meet me back here regularly for updates.

Cake Contest Winner Collects, WNYC Newsroom Looks on in Wonder

Caitlin Thompson, left, and me, with the grimacing I Hate Tennis French Open Cake. Photo: Charlie HermanCaitlin Thompson, the winner of the inaugural I Hate Tennis French Open Cake Contest in the women's draw, got what's coming to her: a cake, baked by me!

Click to read more ...