Rain wrecked the second day of the US Open on Tuesday with only an hour of play possible all day.
A three-and-a-half hour delay kept players off court to start with as heavy showers swept through the New York area and when they did begin hitting balls, it was women’s top seed Amelie Mauresmo who got the action under way.
The French woman shrugged off the gathering gloom to bolt out into a 4-1 lead against Germany qualifier Kristina Barrios before the skies opened again, sending them scurrying for shelter.
They were back 20 minutes later with Mauresmo wrapping up the set 6-1.
But with her right thigh heavily strapped and looking rusty after a long lay-off following her Wimbledon triumph in July, the world number one started to struggle in the second set and was 5-2 down when the rain came again.
This time there was no let-up as heavier rain poured down and organisers were left with their worst scheduling headache since the bad weather that hit the 2003 tournament.
They pared down the programme until only the scheduled night match under the lights on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court between top American James Blake and Juan Monaco of Argentina remained.
That then went the way of the others.
In other games that saw the light of day, 2001 champion Lleyton Hewitt, who has struggled all year with injuries, was level 5-5 with Spain’s Albert Montanes and French hope Gael Monfils took the first set 6-2 against American qualifier Michael Russell.
The New York gloom means that a mouth-watering programme is in prospect for Wednesday if the rain relents.
Top seed and title-holder Roger Federer had not been scheduled to play until the third day in any case, taking on Taiwan’s Wang Yeu-Tzuoo in what will be a first meeting between the two.
His main rival on the men’s tour, Rafael Nadal of Spain, was one of those who were put on hold on Tuesday.
He will have to hope for a clearing of the skies to allow him to open his campaign against dangerous former US Open finalist Mark Philippoussis of Australia.
In the women’s tournament, third seed Maria Sharapova is down to start against Michaella Krajicek of The Netherlands, while comeback queen Martina Hingis prepares to take on one of the new Chinese tigresses, Peng Shuai.
Monday’s opening day was also hit with a 90-minute delay at the start of the programme before the players finally managed to get on court.
The bottom half of the women’s draw was completed with straight wins for former winners Lindsay Davenport and Justine Henin-Hardenne.
All but eight of the ties in the bottom half of the men’s programme were also concluded.
Andre Agassi’s four-set win over Andrei Pavel of Romania was the pick of the action, extending his stay in what he has said will be his last tournament before retiring.
He is not due back on court again before Thursday when he will take on rising Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus, the eighth seed, for a place in the third round.
Croatia’s Ivan Ljubicic was the first top seed to fall, going down in straight sets to Spain’s Feliciano Lopez. — AFP
