Friday night's session was highlighted by Serena defeating her sister Venus in two setsGETTY IMAGES
The U.S. Open set a Labor Day Weekend attendance record of 199,187 for Saturday, Sunday and yesterday combined, including 61,962 yesterday alone. The total attendance in Flushing Meadows through the first eight days of the tournament is 534,748, up 38,273 -- or about 8% -- from last year (USTA). TENNIS WORLD's Jovica Ilic noted 70,162 spectators attended Friday, for the "biggest" single day in U.S. Open history. During the day, Sloane Stephens "defeated Victoria Azarenka" while Rafael Nadal beat Karen Khachanov. In the night session, Serena Williams "took down her sister Venus" (TENNISWORLDUSA.com, 9/2). SI’s Jon Wertheim noted Arthur Ashe Stadium "has about (a) 24,000-seat capacity," which means about two-thirds of the fans "weren’t even on Ashe." That is a "lot of grounds passes, but this is also a nice moment for what happens to tennis these next few years" as fans "come for the event as much as they come for the players" (“Tennis Channel Live,” Tennis Channel, 9/1).
MORE ACTION UNDER THE LIGHTS: In N.Y., Marc Berman noted the first six days of the tourney "featured night cards at Arthur Ashe Stadium and the new Louis Armstrong Stadium, causing some confusion," as ticket holders for Armstrong Stadium’s night card "were not allowed into Ashe Stadium." A total of 6,600 lower-bowl seats "were available for sale for Armstrong’s new night event." According to the USTA, an "average of 4,600 tickets of the 6,600 were sold for the six Armstrong night cards." The last two Armstrong night sessions "sold all of their 6,600 tickets." Fans with Ashe night tickets "were allowed into Armstrong in the upper general admission seating." There will "no longer be night cards at Armstrong for the rest of the tournament." The event’s night attendance also "saw a bump" with an aggregate average total of 27,625, up from 23,927 last year (N.Y. POST, 9/3).
IT'S GETTING HOT IN HERE: In N.Y., Rothenberg & Shmerler note after a "few days of relative relief, the sweltering weather returned" yesterday, with temperatures "reaching 90 degrees." For the "fourth time this tournament, the USTA put its special heat rules in effect, allowing for 10-minute breaks after the second set of women’s and juniors matches and the third set of men’s matches." But those breaks "could supply only so much relief." The "steamy weather is expected to continue" today (N.Y. TIMES, 9/4). REUTERS' Steve Keating notes John Millman defeated Roger Federer in a fourth-round match that ended early this morning, with Federer "simply wilting in the suffocating humidity and exiting a Grand Slam before the quarter-finals for just the fifth time" since '04. Federer said, “I just thought it was very hot tonight. It was just one of those nights where I guess I felt I couldn’t get air. There was no circulation at all. I don’t know, for some reason I just struggled in the conditions tonight" (REUTERS, 9/4).
