U.S. Open Matches At Arthur Ashe Ending In Late Hours

Ferrer's Match Against Nadal Is U.S. Open's Third-Latest Ending Ever

Tuesday night’s Rafael Nadal-David Ferrer fourth-round match at the U.S. Open did not conclude until 1:50am ET, making it the “third-latest ending ever” at the event, according to ESPN.com’s Greg Garber, who wondered, "Are those ultra-late matches good for tennis?" Former ATPer Todd Martin: “I think so, yes. I would like to see the ball get rolling a little earlier in the evening.” But Tennis Week’s Steve Fink said, “It just doesn’t work. It’s unfair to the players, and you’re giving the fan a raw deal.” Garber noted there were less than 8,000 fans at the conclusion of Nadal-Ferrer and “empty seats outnumbered those that were occupied by a two-to-one margin.” But “one of the reasons the tournament expects to set a new attendance record -- close to 700,000 -- is the continuing presence of night sessions that draw more than 23,000 fans.” USTA Chief Exec of Professional Tennis Arlen Kantarian said the late finishes are "not ideal. But it’s part of the mystique of the Open” (ESPN.com, 9/6). Kantarian noted the start times were pushed up five years ago from 7:30pm to 7:00pm and added, “The silver lining to a match that goes late [is] it becomes an epic match at the U.S. Open and it’s under the lights, and it’s re-run the next morning. ... I believe there are more pluses than minuses.” Meanwhile, he said that he will “probably decide by January whether to start” the U.S. Open on Sunday, as opposed to the current Monday. Kantarian: “There are 10 times more people watching TV on Sunday than Monday” (SUN-SENTINEL.com, 9/6).