Still raining here in New York, but it’s worth pointing out one interesting thing about the rescheduling of some of these matches.
As of right now, Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters are scheduled to play their semifinal match at 8 p.m. live on CBS. It’s the marquee slot that had been reserved for the women’s final, but it’s still a very, very good match that’s worthy of prime time viewing.
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On top of that, the women’s final is now scheduled for Sunday night at 9 p.m. on ESPN2, a very high-profile spot on the number one tv viewing night of the week.
“From the standpoint of promoting our sport, yes, that’s a coup,” said U.S. Open Tournament Director Jim Curley.
For what it’s worth, it’s still raining though Curley said he believed it will get clear enough this afternoon to get some tennis in. Some matches may be moved to Louis Armstrong Stadium or the grandstand to ensure as much tennis can be squeezed in as possible.
At the very least, the Nadal-Gonzalez quarterfinal match was completed earlier today, which is significant because another rain delay of that match would have shifted the last day of the tournament to Tuesday.
There was some renewed talk about the notion of putting a retractable roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium, but nothing new to announce. The USTA has performed some basic studies and hired an architect, 360 Architecture out of Kansas City, to make some drawings. But officials still don’t have any cost estimate for such a project, and aren’t sure whether such an investment would be worth it. USTA Executive Director Gordon Smith reminded people that the organization is a non-profit group and that revenues from the U.S. Open go back to supporting grassroots tennis initiatives. So the benefits of any investment in a roof would have to be weighed against the impact of those grassroots efforts.
