While rain wreaked havoc with the US Open again on Saturday, tournament officials faced questions on everything from improvements for the tennis center to the Grand Slam's three-day first round.
"It will be some time before there's any decision made on whether or not to go forward with the roof," U.S. Tennis Association executive director Gordon Smith said. "We would be looking at issues some years down the road, and the present economy has not slowed the process at all.
"We want to move that process along, looking long term and not at the current economy."
Last year, when Tropical Storm Hanna rolled into New York and forced the first Monday men's final since 1987, then-USTA executive Arlen Kantarian said a retractable roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium was "a matter of 'when,' not 'if."'
The USTA appointed a group to study the infrastructure at the tennis center and received preliminary roof plans from a Kansas City architecture firm, but it doesn't appear to be much closer to a concrete solution a year later.
"We will take the time to make the right decision, and will not hold ourselves to a specific timetable," said Lucy Garvin, president and CEO of the USTA board.
US Open officials also didn't seem too eager to examine the tournament schedule, even after facing some barbs from Rafael Nadal, who closed out his rain-delayed quarterfinal victory over Fernando Gonzalez. His semifinal opponent, Juan Martin del Potro, completed his quarterfinal win before Thursday's showers.
Tennis' last major of the year is the only Grand Slam that doesn't provide a day of rest between the semifinals and finals. It makes for a full TV schedule for Saturday -- both men's semifinals and the women's final -- but forces the finalists to play grueling back-to-back matches to decide the tournament.
"In the end, the television is decisive in these cases," Nadal said.
Tournament director Jim Curley said he's open to any changes that would improve the tournament.
