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NEW YORK – Rain hit the roof cracks at Louis Armstrong Stadium on Wednesday night, disrupting the second round of the US Open.
The Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong stadiums are the only courts in Flushing Meadows that can be covered in inclement weather, but even that was a problem as the wind helped push the rain into the space between the hall and Armstrong’s retractable blanket. After two hours of constant rain, the stadium was completely soggy, bringing play to a halt on the show court.
ESPN analyst Darren Cahill recounted the events in a series of tweets.
– Darren Cahill (@darren_cahill) September 2, 2021
Update. Become worse pic.twitter.com/ezVe9mSfep
– Darren Cahill (@darren_cahill) September 2, 2021
Last update pic.twitter.com/INA8C7eIit
– Darren Cahill (@darren_cahill) September 2, 2021
The game between two-time major finalist Kevin Anderson and 11th seed Diego Schwartzman was suspended with Schwartzman leading 7-6 (4), and he resumed at Ashe after the conclusion of 6-3, 6-4, 6 – by Stefanos Tsitsipas. 7 (4), 6-0 victory over Adrian Mannarino.
Schwartzman eventually won 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-4 to reach the third round, with the game ending just after 1 a.m. on Thursday.
The match between Angelique Kerber and Anhelina Kalinina, originally scheduled to follow Anderson and Schwartzman on Armstrong, has been postponed until later Thursday.
Schwartzman had no interest in this kind of scenario.
“I was ready to play and wanted to finish [Wednesday], not finished [Thursday]. You never know what can happen, ”he said.
The 14,000-seat Louis Armstrong stadium was modernized ahead of the 2018 US Open with a naturally ventilated roof.
Fans in attendance Wednesday night received flash flood and tornado warnings stating, “This is a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation. Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing a flood-prone area or under an evacuation order. ” As the rain kept getting worse, spectators huddled under umbrellas or left the tennis center.
Subway stations and tracks became so flooded that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority suspended all services and New York City implemented a travel ban until 5 a.m. Thursday for all non-emergency vehicles.
Shortly after midnight Thursday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced she was declaring a state of emergency “to help New Yorkers affected by tonight’s storm. “
The National Weather Service recorded 3.15 inches of rain in Central Park in New York City in an hour, far exceeding the 1.94 inches that fell in an hour during Tropical Storm Henry on August 22, which was seen in the epoch like the highest ever recorded in the park.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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