Award presenters Robin Roberts and Whoopi Goldberg with Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, who won the Eugene L. Scott award. Polly Scott, the widow of Eugene Scott, is at right. PHOTO Jen Pottheiser

By Liza Horan

The View, Good Morning America, and The Real Housewives of New York City all were represented at a fancy dinner and awards ceremony at Cipriani's on 42nd Street last night. Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Roberts, Ramona Singer and Jill Zarin posed for photographers before taking their places at the round tables appointed with starched white cloths, china and crystal. It was like any awards show, except that Joan Rivers wasn't on duty to critique and crack jokes about guests' ensembles, which ranged from black tie to summer maxi dresses. The TV set wined, dined and then observed intently as other stars were honored.

After all, the entertainment folk were outnumbered by a cast of hundreds of tennis supporters and the game's own stars, including Monica Seles, Martina Navratilova, Jimmy Connors, Tracy Austin, Stan Smith, Tony Trabert and many others. After all, it was The Legends Ball, has been staged since 1980 to honor the latest members of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, recognize other contributors to the sport, and raise money for the hall of fame to preserve the history and contribute to the future of tennis.

More than $130,000 was raised through a silent auction of tennis and sports memorabilia and other packages goods and a live auction of experiences. Here some of the notable winning bids:

• $18,000 for a hitting session with Monica Seles
• $6,000 for a hitting session with Jim Courier
• $15,000 for a travel package to the men's and women's finals of Wimbledon
• $14,000 for a travel package to the men's and women's finals of Roland Garros
• $9,500 for a travel package to the men's and women's finals of Australian Open
• $25,000, contributed by 40 bidders, to cover childrens' admissions to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I.

In addition to marking the summer inductions of Monica Seles, Donald Dell and the late Dr. "Whirlwind" Johnson to the hall, Tennis Channel's Ken Solomon received the Joseph F. Cullman III award, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe and the late Arthur Ashe accepted the Eugene L. Scott award, and the International Lawn Tennis Club of the USA presented the Danzig award to Navratilova and the Johnson award to Fred Stolle.

Pictured  below: Hall of famers Dick Savitt, Stan Smith, Monica Seles, Butch Buchholz, Pam Shriver and Tony Trabert. PHOTO Jen Pottheiser