Rain washes out full day at US Open

NEW YORK (AP):

Rain washed out all of yesterday's schedule at the US Open, postponing matches involving defending champion Rafael Nadal and the three American men left in the tournament: Andy Roddick, John Isner and Donald Young.

Second-seeded Vera Zvonareva, the 2010 runner-up, also had been scheduled to play yesterday, the first time play has been delayed by rain at this year's US Open.

Steady showers that began overnight carried into the morning, first delaying what was supposed to be an 11 a.m. EDT start.

About 2¹/² hours later, the US Tennis Association announced that the day and night sessions were being called off, issuing a statement that said: "The latest forecast indicates worsening conditions with no projected breaks in the rain through the remainder of the day and into the night."

A total of 54 matches, including four in the fourth round of men's singles and two in the quarter-finals of women's singles, along with doubles and juniors action, were postponed at least until today, when the forecast predicts more rain.

There also is a chance of rain tomorrow and Friday, which could throw the schedule into disarray. The two-week US Open began August 29 and is scheduled to end on Sunday. Each of the past three years, though, rain pushed the men's final back a day until Monday.

The men's matches originally set for yesterday were No. 2 Nadal against unseeded Gilles Muller of Luxembourg; No. 21 Roddick, the 2003 US Open champion, against No. 5 David Ferrer of Spain; No. 28 Isner against No. 12 Gilles Simon of France; and the unseeded Young against No. 4 Andy Murray, a three-time Grand Slam finalist.

In women's singles, Zvonareva was to face No. 9 Sam Stosur and No. 26 Flavia Pennetta was scheduled to play unseeded Angelique Kerber of Germany.