Rain washes out U.S. Open matches

Associated Press

NEW YORK

A little after 3 p.m. Tuesday, Rafael Nadal settled in at a table in the U.S. Open players’ cafeteria and sprinkled some salt on his lunch of salmon and rice.

The day’s work for the defending champion was complete, consisting of a 11/2-hour practice session indoors at Flushing Meadows instead of his scheduled fourth-round match outdoors, because steady rain washed out all of Tuesday’s action.

The biggest concern suddenly is when the weather will allow players to get back on court. As it is, the men in the second-seeded Nadal’s half of the draw — such as No. 4 Andy Murray, No. 21 Andy Roddick and No. 28 John Isner — could be forced to play four matches in five days, or even worse.

The men in the other half of the field, including No. 1 Novak Djokovic and 16-time major champion Roger Federer, already have progressed to the quarterfinals.

The two-week U.S. Open began Aug. 29, and is scheduled to end Sunday.

Tuesday was the first time play has been delayed by rain this year, postponing a total of 54 matches — four in the fourth round of men’s singles, two in the quarterfinals of women’s singles, along with doubles and juniors — at least until today, when the forecast predicts more rain.

The men’s matches originally set for Tuesday were Nadal against unseeded Gilles Muller of Luxembourg; Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion, against No. 5 David Ferrer of Spain; Isner against No. 12 Gilles Simon of France; and three-time Grand Slam finalist Murray against unseeded Donald Young of the United States.

In women’s singles, No. 2 Vera Zvonareva was to face No. 9 Sam Stosur, and No. 26 Flavia Pennetta was scheduled to play unseeded Angelique Kerber of Germany.

Those six matches now are on today’s schedule, plus the other two women’s quarterfinals — 13-time major champion Serena Williams vs. No. 17 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki vs. No. 10 Andrea Petkovic.