Sharapova weathers storm at sunny Open

Wednesday, 31 August 2011 01:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reuters: Maria Sharapova survived an early scare at the U.S. Open Monday after Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova had been knocked out of the year’s final grand slam, which began on time and in perfect conditions after a week of wild weather in New York.

It was business as usual at the National Tennis Center in Queens as the earthquake that rattled the U.S. East Coast last week and the deadly hurricane that killed at least 21 people were momentarily forgotten.

“On Tuesday we had an earthquake. Who knew we lived near a fault? Luckily it wasn’t a double fault,” New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg quipped.

Jon Vegosen, the chairman of the U.S. Tennis Association, chipped in: “Small things like earthquakes and hurricanes aren’t going to stop us. The Open is now open!” he said.

Thousands of spectators streamed through the gates at Flushing Meadows on a glorious summer day, while players holed out for most of the weekend in Manhattan hotels bounded on to the courts to weather their own storms.