Manhattan’s Largest Circulation Daily Am.NY.com August 21, 2008 Game.  Set.  Dessert. By Matt Rodbard Metromix.com It's a simple idea: Pair 18 top New York chefs with 18 of the world's top tennis players, in town for the U.S. Open.  Ticket holders to tonight annual BNP Paribas Taste of Tennis simply walk the tables, eating and greeting with top-seeded players like Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt and Jelena Jankovic, and a group of star-studded chefs that include Alfred Portales of  Gotham Bar and Grill and John DeLucie (The Waverly Inn). We grabbed with DeLucie about cooking for Roger Federer and scoring a reservation at his uber-hot spot – he swears it’s not as tough as you think What are you making for the event? We're doing a mini chicken pot pie with poached chicken, crimini mushrooms, peas, pearl onions, carrots, with a delicious puff pasty ring on the top. Do you really think these tennis players are going to eat pot pie before their U.S. Open matches? Yes, I fully expect them to. Athletes, and everybody else who visits the Waverly, eats with a little bit of reckless abandon, so I really don't see anybody holding back that much. Plus, athletes can totally burn it off easily. What's biggest misconception about the Waverly Inn? That you cannot get in. We take reservations on a walk-in basis starting at 11 a.m. and you can pretty much get in there every night. You can also walk in most nights at 6:30 p.m. and get a table. How’s your tennis game? I have no backhand and pretty much zero game. Hopefully I will gain some game by osmosis at the event. Andre Agassi was always my favorite player, but I really like the last champion, Roger Federer. He's had dinner at the Waverly. Was he rocking one of those fancy tennis cardigans he's been known to wear? I think he was! He was really chill and nice and with a very good looking group of people. You wouldn't have known he was a champion tennis player. The group behaved really well.