Maybe there won’t be a Sept. 11 men’s final at the U.S. Open after all.
With yesterday’s complete rainout of the day and night sessions and forecast for intermittent rain the rest of the week, there is a chance the Open’s men’s final could be pushed back to Monday for the third straight year. The USTA has elaborate plans for a 9/11 ceremony on Sunday’s 10th anniversary of the attacks.
The USTA has scheduled an epic card today — essentially combining two days into one — with all of the big names in action. But rain is in the forecast for much of the day.
Two years ago, the USTA declared it was examining building a retractable roof over Ashe Stadium, and former USTA CEO Arlen Kantarian said it was “not a matter of if but when.”
However, with a change in leadership and an economic recession, the roof plans were on life support last September. A source familiar with the situation yesterday said talks of a roof “are totally dead” because of the cost.
Wimbledon’s Centre Court has had a roof since 2009 and tournament organizers are planning to add one to Court 1, the Australian Open has two retractable roofs and the French Open announced plans to add a roof in time for the 2016 event.
The Open had not seen a raindrop this year until it began drizzling yesterday morning. The downpour arrived at 11 a.m., right before players were to take the court.
The three remaining American men, John Isner, Donald Young and Andy Roddick, now have to wait until today to vie for quarterfinal berths. The Young-Andy Murray showdown, because of the packed schedule, has been moved to 11 a.m. on the smaller Grandstand court, which should be packed to the gills. Even Roddick has been moved to a smaller stage at Louis Armstrong Stadium.