Rains don't go away at Flushing Meadows

NEW YORK – Rain threw the US Open schedule into disarray for the second consecutive year, meaning both singles finals will be pushed back, and the tournament will end Monday at the earliest.

All of Friday’s matches were postponed because of steady showers. That includes the two women’s semifinals – Serena Williams vs Kim Clijsters, and Yanina Wickmayer vs Caroline Wozniacki – and the men’s quarterfinal between Rafael Nadal and Fernando Gonzalez, which was suspended in the second set Thursday night by showers.

Those three matches were all rescheduled for Saturday, when the forecast again calls for rain.

Assuming the women’s semifinals can be completed Saturday, that final will be moved to Sunday, although organizers were still trying to iron out the details – including determining where matches will be aired on TV.

“There are some unknowns here,” tournament spokesman Chris Widmaier said.

The last men’s quarterfinal will resume with Nadal leading Gonzalez by a set and 3-2 in the second-set tiebreaker. If that finishes Saturday, the men’s semifinals will be Sunday, with the Nadal-Gonzalez winner meeting Juan Martin del Potro, and five-time defending champion Roger Federer facing Novak Djokovic.

The men’s final then would be moved from Sunday to Monday. Last year, the US Open men’s final was played on a Monday for the first time since 1987.

There is no roof on any court at Flushing Meadows, although studies have been done to check on the feasibility of adding one to Arthur Ashe Stadium. There is a new $60 million indoor facility on the grounds, but that is used only for practice during the tournament.

Wimbledon put a retractable roof over Center Court for this year’s tournament, while the Australian Open has retractable roofs over its two main courts and plans to cover a third. The French Open intends to have a roof over its center court within the next several years. (AP)