A steady rain forced the suspension of most of the matches at the United States Open on Tuesday, allowing just two of 32 men’s matches to be completed. But the two matches just happened to involve Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, the biggest stars in the men’s side of the draw.
Under Arthur Ashe Stadium’s new roof and the persistent din that comes with it, both players overcame shaky moments to win their first-round matches and keep alive the possibility of facing each other on the same court next week.
Nadal, the top seed, beat Dusan Lajovic of Serbia, 7-6 (6), 6-2, 6-2, in the late afternoon.