Rain postpones men's final at U.S. Open
NEW YORK - Rafael Nadal will have to wait at least one more day to try to complete his career Grand Slam by winning the U.S. Open against Novak Djokovic.
Light rain washed out the men's final Sunday at the National Tennis Center in New York, pushing it to a start of no earlier than 3 p.m. Monday.
The National Weather Service forecasts a slight chance of showers after 3 p.m.
It is the third straight year the U.S. Open has been extended into a third week because of the weather. That three-year run is a first for the tournament, according to the U.S. Tennis Association's media guide for the Open.
Djokovic, who needed 3 hours, 44 minutes to win his semifinal Saturday against five-time champion Roger Federer of Switzerland, said after that match he would be praying for rain. His match ended just before 7 p.m., giving him less than 22 hours of rest before the 4:30 p.m. scheduled start Sunday.
"Maybe it goes in my favor a little bit to cancel it today," Djokovic told CBS Sports, which will televise Monday's final. "Unfortunately, rain stopped us. But tomorrow is a new day."
The top-seeded Nadal is trying to win his first U.S. Open title and become the seventh man with a career Grand Slam. The Spaniard already has five French Open titles, two Wimbledon crowns and one Australian Open championship.
He lacks only a title in New York to become the youngest man since the Open era of professional tennis began in 1968 to complete the Grand Slam.
Djokovic, a Serb who is the tournament's No. 3 seed, also is trying to win his first U.S. Open. He was the 2008 Australian Open champion.
The main court at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest in tennis with 23,771 seats, does not have a roof. Wimbledon added a roof to its Centre Court two years ago, and the Australian Open has a roof on two courts. French Open officials have discussed adding a roof at Roland Garros.
In 2008, when play at the U.S. Open was extended to a third week for the first time since 1987, then-USTA chief executive officer Arlen Kantarian told reporters that "this tournament has now reached a point where we have to look seriously at putting a roof over Arthur Ashe."
The tournament has been extended 13 times since 1935 because of bad weather, including a six-day delay in 1938 because of a hurricane.