The new Louis Armstrong Stadium at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center has "been the subject of rave reviews from architects" and is a "beautiful gem of a venue" after the five-year, $600M renovation of the complex, according to ESPN's Tom Rinaldi. Armstrong is the second stadium to "have the umbrella retractable roof," which could come into play later this week at the U.S. Open when rain is "in the forecast." ESPN's Brad Gilbert said there is a "friendly rivalry" between the four venues that host tennis' majors, all watching "who's got the best park and who's making the upgrades." It is "great for tennis that they're advancing and pushing each other." ESPN's Mary Joe Fernandez said fans know the mid-level concourse of Armstrong Stadium is the "place to watch." The upper part is a "grounds pass seat, (while) the lower bowl section is a ticketed seat." That is why there are "some imbalances" in where the crowd is, because fans with grounds passes know the mid-level concourse is the "place to be right now." Andy Murray said the venue is "a little sheltered" and noted the sun "went behind the roof, which is probably nice for everyone watching as well as the players." Murray: "It was beautiful. Great atmosphere for the first day of the tournament" ("U.S. Open," ESPN, 8/27). On Long Island, John Jeansonne notes the open concourse level in Armstrong Stadium "provides out-of-your-seat viewing so that nobody has to miss action waiting for changeovers" (NEWSDAY, 8/28).
Stephens indicated she was distracted by airplanes, the subway and even concession linesGETTY IMAGES
NOT A FAN: In N.Y., Marc Berman notes Sloane Stephens won her first-round match yesterday at Armstrong Stadium, but afterward she issued a "bunch of complaints -- whether it be trains or planes -- about the new venue's distractions." Stephens said, "Obviously playing on a court that's very loud, there's a lot going on. I think it makes it a little tough to kind of settle down. ... There was a lot going on between the airplanes and the subway behind the court, the concessions being in the lower bowl, and people walking in the games at 2-all, 3-all." She added, “I'll probably play another match on Armstrong, knowing the USTA. I got to get my mind right and get ready for it” (N.Y. POST, 8/28).
BIRD'S EYE VIEW? The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Beaton & Perrotta note Armstrong Stadium "drew immediate criticism for the high-up camera angle" that made yesterday's Kaia Kanepi-Simona Halep match "somewhat difficult to watch for TV viewers." The steep vertical angle "made it difficult for viewers to gauge the height of many shots." At times during the match, the ESPN broadcast "switched to an angle at court-level that provided an up-close look of the action -- but also provided a limited view of the far side of the court." Both cameras are "behind the court's baseline, with the lower one over a wall behind the players." The second camera, which "displays most of the points, is up above, at the level of the second set of seats." This could be "especially problematic because, throughout most of the tournament, more matches will be played at Armstrong" than Arthur Ashe Stadium (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/28).
