The U.S. Open will begin as scheduled at 11:00am ET today "on a majority of the courts," with gates opening to the public at 10:00am. The "biggest change" is at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where the first match will begin at 1:00pm instead of 11:00am. The USTA said that the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center sustained "minimal damage" from Hurricane Irene. USTA Managing Dir of Facility Operations Daniel Zausner: "From our perspective, we were very fortunate." Zausner added that there was "no flooding or structural damage" (NYTIMES.com, 8/28).
ESPN2 will provide 100 hours of coverage of the tournament starting today through Sept. 11, with another 420 hours on ESPN3.com. During the first week, ESPN2's weekday coverage will start at 1:00pm "and continue nonstop for at least 10 hours." Tennis Chanel's "typical day of coverage" will feature matches from 11:00am-7:00pm, followed by "U.S. Open Tonight" at 11:00pm. The show "alternates with encore matches throughout the late-night and early-morning hours" (MULTICHANNEL.com, 8/28).
The N.Y. Times today includes a 12-page U.S. Open preview section, with ads from Credit Suisse, United Air Lines, Citizen, Westin Hotels and Tennis Channel. USA Today is running an eight-page preview section that is exclusively sponsored by Mercedes-Benz (THE DAILY).
