The rain that halted play Thursday night during the men's quarterfinals match and postponed all play on Friday made another appearance on Saturday. Unlike Friday some tennis balls were able to be played on Saturday. Still the schedule will have to be adjusted again before the US Open tennis 2009 results will be known.
Before the rain started again on Saturday the men's quarterfinal match between Rafael Nadal and Fernando Gonzalez was able to be completed. Nadal took only 34 minutes to defeat Gonzalez and advance to the men's semifinal. Nadal will play Juan Martin Del Potro on Sunday if the rain stays away on Sunday.
When the rain started the women's doubles semifinal match between Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs against Cara Black and Liezel Huber was in process. The number 3 seeded team of Stosur and Stubbs were leading the number 1 seeded team of Black and Huber when the play was suspended due to the rain 7-5. They are now scheduled to complete their match on Sunday.
The men's doubles finals was about to start when the rain started on Saturday. Lukas Dlouhy and Leander Paes will now have to wait till Sunday to play the team of Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles to determine who will be the 2009 US Open men's doubles champions.
Both the women's semifinals matches started after the rain stopped late Saturday night. If the rain stays away long enough for the women's semifinals matches to be completed on Saturday night then the finals are scheduled to be played on Sunday.
With the rain playing havoc with the final weekend of the US Open tournament, questions about putting a roof over the Arthur Ashe Stadium has been the talk most of Friday and Saturday. This is the second year in a row that the tournament has had to play on Monday due to rain.
In 2008 Tropical Storm Hanna brought rain and the men's finals had to be played on Monday instead of Sunday. The last time that had occurred was in 1987.
The reason the rain is such an issue is the timing of when it has occurred. If the rain had been earlier in the tournament then the schedule could be adjusted to where the play could conclude on Sunday as originally scheduled.
The US Tennis Association checked into putting a roof over the Arthur Ashe Stadium after the rain forced a change in schedule last year. While the Association would love to have a roof over the stadium, it does not seem to be in the plans any time soon.
It is estimated that it would cost at least $100 million dollars to put a roof over the stadium. The Association is not sure that spending that amount of money for something that will only be used once a year is the best way to spend the money.
So for now the US Open will be the only Grand Slam without a roof or without plans for a roof. Australian Open has retractable roofs on two of its courts and plans for a third. Wimbledon installed a retractable roof this year over its Centre Court. The French Open has plans to cover its main court in the next several years.
There is a new indoor facility at the US Open. It is mostly used for practice during the Open.
If Sunday's play is able to be completed as scheduled the US Open tennis 2009 results will tell who is the champions for the men's doubles and the women's single. It will also decide who will play for the men's single and women's doubles championship on Monday. That is if the rain does not win out again.
Comment and add to the story without registration, but keep the comments meaningful please. Links are not accepted.
