Murray Understands The Reason For Roofs At The US Open

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 5th September 2013

Murray Understands The Reason For Roofs At The US Open

epa03849888 Andy Murray of Great Britain hits a return to Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan during their match on the ninth day of the 2013 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 03 September 2013. The US Open runs through Monday 09 September, a 15-day schedule for the first time. EPA/JASON DECROW |

Andy Murray is tempering his anticipation of someday playing under a moveable roof at the weather-prone US Open, reminding that the $550-million project to cover a couple of show courts will still only benefit a tiny group of mainly elite players.

The Open has reportedly bitten the bullet and agreed to a project to revitalize its ageing venue as well as install a roof on the 23,000-capacity Ashe court. But with the project optimistically due for completion around the turn of the next decade, Murray is not holding his breath over developments around the grounds.

The last five editions of the men’s final have all been played with one day’s delay on a Monday due to rain. This year, officials just gave up and set the final on a Monday anyway, where it will remain through 2014 and a return to a normal grand slam at the quirky event for the first time in perhaps four decades.

Murray said that when it rains, “a roof only helps players on show courts where roofs are available. I don’t know how much difference it makes to the (other) players. There’s 128 players in the draw. It will help 10, 15 players, but it doesn’t help everybody. But for the tournament, it’s great. It’s great for TV.

“It’s great for people that have tickets to come and watch, as well. And it means also that the tournament most likely will get finished on time, which hasn’t been the case I think like three of the last four years, going on to the Monday.”

This year’s middle Monday, Labor Day, was the first major exercise in rain chaos, with Roger Federer’s match with Tommy Robredo switched from the huge Ashe to the half-sized Armstrong courts. Thousands were left in a queue of several hundred meters in hopes of trying and get a seat in the cut-rate arena.

Topics: 10sballs, Andy Murray, Roger Federer, Sports, Tennis, Tommy Robredo, US Open