With the rain wreaking havoc on the US Open for the second straight year, we have a lot of revisions for the weekend and again, a Monday finish. This is what the schedule looks like for Saturday. CBS will not have the women’s final this year, shuffling it to ESPN2. CBS is again stuck with a Monday at 4 p.m. finish and it will be interesting to see how many CBS affiliates take the match seeing that many did not last year. We’ll watch that development on Monday.
So here’s the schedule over the next three days:
Saturday, September 12
Conclusion men’s singles quarterfinal, Rafael Nadal/Fernando Gonzalez/Men’s doubles final/Women’s doubles semifinal/Women’s singles semifinal, Caroline Wozniacki vs. Yanina Wickmayer – CBS, noon-6 p.m.
Women’s singles semifinal, Serena Williams vs. Kim Clijsters – CBS, 8 p.m.
Sunday, September 13
Men’s singles semifinals – ESPN2, noon
Men’s singles semifinals – CBS, 4 p.m.
Women’s singles final – ESPN2, 9 p.m.
Monday, September 14
Women’s doubles final – ESPN2, 1 p.m.
Men’s singles final – CBS, 4 p.m.
You’ll probably notice that Tennis Channel is not involved in any of these matches. I think had ESPN2 not been able to carry the women’s finals, you might have seen TC step in, but that might have caused an uproar due to its low viewership. ESPN2 has to be elated over carrying the women’s singles final. Overall, this is the best schedule the USTA could come up with and it’s not bad to be honest. But the women’s final will get killed in the ratings opposite Sunday Night Football’s Bears-Packers matchup.
UPDATE, 9:30 p.m.: Here is a CBS Sports press release that just came in regarding the revised schedule.
THIS JUST IN…
…FROM CBS SPORTS
CBS Sports’ continues its regularly-scheduled coverage of the 2009 U.S. Open Tennis Championships on Saturday, Sept. 12 (12:00 Noon-6:00 PM, ET and 8:00-10:00 PM, ET) featuring the scheduled matches for the day including men’s quarterfinal Rafael Nadal-Fernando Gonzalez; men’s doubles final Lukas Dlouhy/Leander Paes-Mahesh Bhupath/Mark Knowles; women’s doubles semi-final Cara Black/Liezel Huber-Samantha Stosur/Rennae Stubbs; women’s semi-finals matches Caroline Wozniacki-Yanina Wickmayer; and Serena Williams-Kim Clijsters in prime time.
CBS Sports’ coverage of the 2009 U.S. OPEN TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS on Sunday, Sept. 13 (4:00 PM, ET) will feature a men’s semi-final match and conclude on Monday, Sept. 14 (4:00 PM, ET) with the men’s final.
Lead play-by-play announcer Dick Enberg will be joined by expert analysts Mary Carillo and John McEnroe in the booth for the 10th consecutive year. Bill Macatee and analyst Jim Courier also will call tennis action for CBS Sports. Mary Joe Fernandez serves as reporter.
Bob Mansbach serves as coordinating producer of CBS Sports’ live coverage of tennis’ final major of the year. Mansbach, David Winner and Ken Mack produce. Lead director Bob Fishman will direct along with Jim Cornell. Harold Bryant is Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.
CBS has to take what it’s given here. Not much it can do as the weather really came in to wreak havoc on Thursday and Friday.
UPDATE, 9/12, 2:20 a.m.: For good measure, here’s ESPN’s press release on ESPN2 carrying the women’s finals.
US Open Women’s Final on ESPN2 Sunday NightRain also Pushes a Men’s Semi to Sunday on ESPN2, Women’s Doubles Final on ESPN2 MondayWith rain cancelling play late Thursday night, Sept. 10, and Friday, Sept. 11, the concluding matches at the US Open have been rescheduled with ESPN2 now airing a Men’s Semifinal Sunday, Sept. 13, at noon ET and the Women’s Final that night at 9 p.m.In addition, the Women’s Doubles Final will now air on ESPN2 Monday, Sept. 14, at 1 p.m.All ESPN2 matches will also be available via broadband ESPN360.com and ESPN Mobile Properties.All Four Slams, All in One PlaceWith programming on ESPN Radio, ESPN360.com, ESPNEWS and more – in addition to ESPN2’s 100+ hours during the two-week tournament – ESPN is completing a Grand Slam, presenting all four of the sport’s majors, which no U.S. network has ever done before, let alone in a single year.
Sunday, 9/13, noon – 3 p.m. – Men’s Semifinal #1, ESPN2
Sunday, 9/13, 9 p.m. – 11 p.m. – Women’s Final, ESPN2
Monday, 9/14, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. – Women’s Doubles Final, ESPN2
Unless we get more rainstorms, this should be the final update.
