Rain delays start of US Open

Court attendants prepare center court at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. Rain delayed the start of day 10 of the US Open on Wednesday, prompting fears of a Monday finish for the fifth successive year.

NEW YORK (AFP) - Play resumed at the US Open on Wednesday after rain had delayed the start of matches by more than two hours, prompting fears of a Monday finish for the fifth successive year.

After more than six hours were lost on Tuesday, organisers were trying to squeeze in the remaining three women’s quarter-finals, two men’s quarter-finals and the three last-16 men’s matches that had not been completed.

French 11th seed Marion Bartoli led Russian third seed Maria Sharapova 4-0 at Arthur Ashe Stadium in the resumption of their rain-interrupted quarter-final.