The second-round match between Diego Schwartzman and Kevin Anderson was interrupted as rain played havoc at the Louis Armstrong stadium, with water pouring in through the retractable roof.
Hurricane Ida hit the US Open hard on Wednesday evening.
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The Schwartzman vs. Anderson match on Armstrong was twice interrupted due to sideways rain making it into the stadium. Fans opened umbrellas and rain made it onto the playing surface.
Sideways rain roaring into Louis Armstrong Stadium. pic.twitter.com/X08DjmRUSM
— Darren Cahill (@darren_cahill) September 2, 2021
The match was finally suspended early in the second set and rescheduled to Arthur Ashe Stadium following the conclusion of Stefanos Tsitsipas’ four-set win over Adrian Mannarino.
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The storm also forced New York’s famed subway service to be suspended, stranding many fans who stayed for the night session.
Fans returning to their cars had to wade through knee-deep water at times and many found water up to the bottom of their car’s doors. Some trees outside the park gates had fallen.
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Schwartzman and Anderson traded early breaks in the first set before play was halted for over 30 minutes at Louis Armstrong Stadium as the venue’s retractable roof was unable to prevent rain being blown in sideways by strong winds.
Schwartzman then slipped during a tiebreak in the first set and called for chair umpire Nacho Forcadell, who inspected the court as fans donned plastic ponchos and held up umbrellas.
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The court was wiped down with towels and play resumed after nearly 10 minutes, but officials then suspended the match and later announced it would resume at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“You guys call me when you’re ready to play tennis,” said South African Anderson, the runner up in 2017, before leaving the court.
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The second round match between former champion Angelique Kerber and Anhelina Kalinina, originally scheduled to begin after Schwartzman and Anderson, was pushed to Thursday.
