U.S. Open play resumes after severe storms cause flooding, damage to grounds

After Wednesday night’s severe storms in the New York area, which left wind damage and flooding over various parts of the city, U.S. Open officials evaluated the readiness of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to host matches Thursday.

After a one-hour delay, matches have begun and the USTA announced the Long Island Rail Road and Train 7 have resumed service.

The initial update as of 10 a.m. was that gates would not open until 11 a.m. and matches would not start before noon, pushing all start times back by at least an hour. But the USTA said it would provide further updates as the site was inspected. 

The severe conditions, which were related to the remnants of Hurricane Ida sweeping through the northeast, disrupted play Wednesday night. That included Louis Armstrong Stadium, which has a retractable roof but was still penetrated by sideways rain, causing the match between Diego Schwartzman and Kevin Anderson to be suspended and moved to Arthur Ashe Stadium, where play was able to continue indoors.

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Various photos and videos on social media showed knee-deep puddles near the grounds, debris flying around and portable concession stands being knocked from their moorings. Subway service was also interrupted. 

The good news for New York is that the weather forecast calls for sunny skies over the next several days, though strong winds could still be a factor in the area. 

Follow Dan Wolken on Twitter @DanWolken