1st woman Umpires men’s final
Eva Asderaki-Moore of Greece has become the first female chair umpire for a US Open men’s singles final. The US Tennis Association said on Sunday that this year’s tournament also is the first major in which a woman chaired both singles finals. Marija Cicak of Croatia handled Saturday’s women’s final.
Asderaki-Moore was the chair umpire for the 2011 U.S. Open women’s final in which Sam Stosur beat Serena Williams. Williams was fined for verbally abusing Asderaki-Moore after the chair umpire awarded a point to Stosur, saying Williams' yell of “Come on!” on what she thought was a winner hindered Stosur as she got a racket on the ball.
Rain delays final
Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer have to take the court for the US Open men’s final after a rain delay of more than three hours — because there’s still no roof atop Arthur Ashe Stadium. That’s supposed to be in place for next year’s tournament.
The US Open has a long history of scheduling problems because of weather, including five consecutive men’s finals postponed from Sunday to Monday from 2008-12.
As part of a broader, $500 million-plus renovation plan for the tournament site, the U.S. Tennis Association has been constructing a retractable roof over Ashe, with 2016 the planned date for its debut.
For now, a framework of more than 6,500 tons of steel sits atop that stadium, but the work to install the retractable panels will resume after this year’s tournament ends.