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NEW YORK (AP) — The old Grandstand at the U.S. Open isn't retired after all.
Last year's tournament was supposed to be the swan song for the venue. A new, larger Grandstand on the opposite corner of the complex opened for this year's event.
But the old one isn't slated to be demolished until after the 2016 U.S. Open, and U.S. Tennis Association officials realized in the lead-up to the tournament it made sense to keep it as a competition court for one more year to maximize scheduling flexibility. It was initially going to be used only as a practice court.
So when the U.S. Open begins Monday, there will be four matches on what will be referred to somewhat confusingly as the "old Grandstand." Players on the court will include Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig and 22nd-seeded Elina Svitolina, who stunned Serena Williams in the third round at the Rio Games.
The Grandstand is the third-largest stadium at the U.S. Open. The new venue seats more than 8,000, an increase of over 2,000.
Meanwhile, one of the outer courts will not be used at the start of the tournament because of imperfections in the playing surface. Court 10 was supposed to be one of the venues set up for matches to be televised, but with the problems there, the USTA moved the broadcast equipment over to the old Grandstand on Saturday.
The USTA said Sunday that it hopes to have Court 10 ready for play in the next few days.
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