Tennis Atlantic

New York City Mayor Bloomberg canceled the Mets for Saturday and Sunday. The USTA canceled Arthur Ashe Kid’s Day with less than 24 hours notice.

That’s regrettable but practical. More importantly, will the US Open itself start on time? The latest Irene forecast looks like that’s a possibility, unless the courts or facility (or transportation infrastructure) are damaged. What if players can’t get there? What if players and coaches don’t want to ride out the storm in New York City? Will the Pit become the Pond? How about the Winston Salem Open’s finalists flight to New York?  That might be a pretty hairy affair in its own right.

Based on the TV ratings for the finals, the last thing the USTA wants to do is actually plan for a Monday or Tuesday final by starting the early rounds late. If it can’t begin by Tuesday, we’d expect it not to start at all until Labor Day weekend. What a headache this must be for the USTA. We’re hoping that everyone stays safe and hope that the tournament stays on course to finish up 16 days from now. Canceling Arthur Ashe Kid’s Day was the right call. Although the cancellation was in the interest of safety for families, we’d love to know how many of the stars (Cody Simpson, Cee Lo, etc.) had already hopped their NetJet back to Southern California. One thing is for sure: Past guest Will Ferrell would have never backed out. He can handle anything, except invisible fire.