12 Sep 2009

Rain forces re-jig of US Tennis Open final days

2:52 pm on 12 September 2009

Unrelenting rain washed out play at the U.S. Open, ending the ten day run of near-perfect weather and playing havoc with the schedule.

The rain-suspended quarter-final between world number three Rafael Nadal and Chile's Fernando Gonzalez will now open tomorrow's program on Arthur Ashe Stadium to see who will face Argentine Juan Martin del Potro in the final four.

The Nadal-Gonzalez match will be followed by the men's doubles championship and the women's semi-final between Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and Belgian Yanina Wickmayer.

The highly anticipated women's semi-final between number two seed Serena Williams and 2005 champion Kim Clijsters will be later in the evening.

When rain halted the last men's quarter-final, third-seeded Nadal led number 11 Gonzalez 7-6 6-6 with the Chilean serving at 2-3 in the tiebreak.

The other side of the men's draw has already set up a semi-final between five-times champion Roger Federer and 2007 finalist Novak Djokovic.