The start of the US Open 2021 has been very happening. The season finale was full of drama and disagreements, so day three was sure to be entertaining.
The weather, on the other hand, was not on tennis’ side, as hurricane Ida wreaked havoc. It brought the state to a halt by delaying a few games and locked people inside. As New York fought severe gusts and flash flooding, German International Angelique Kerber was one of those who were affected by the sudden downpour.
Angelique Kerber, world No. 17, had to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. The Arthur Ashe Stadium was closed to both fans and players due to severe rains pounding the roof.
As a result, the German player resorted to Instagram to explain how the dreadful weather had affected her vacation.
Kerber found a temporary home
Hurricane Ida kept the 33-year-old indoors as she prepared for her round 2 matches against Anhelina Kalinina. Due to the flooding that had engulfed the city highways, she was obliged to spend the night in the gym.
The former World No. 1 shared her staycation at the fitness centre on Instagram.
Ida’s wrath fell not only on the players but also on the fans. They made it to the stadiums despite the bad weather to see their stars in action. However, when the weather deteriorated, coming home seemed impossibly difficult.
Fans are seen trapped in the parking lot with their vehicles flooded underwater in newly released footage.
Arriving at #USOpen2021 for the first time this morning. On the left, a welcome back to fans after COVID prevented them from attending last year. Directly below, remnants of last night’s extreme weather, a grim reminder that if it’s not one thing, it’s another in this crazy world pic.twitter.com/bFk1fwlXPt
— Ashish Malhotra (@amalhotra2) September 2, 2021
They were swept up in the wreckage of Hurricane Ida with no help from authorities. As games went on elsewhere, a few roofs were unable to withstand the heavy rains, forcing matches to be postponed and rescheduled.
When it comes to the business side of things, Angelique may not have slept in ideal circumstances, but she certainly awoke to a bright dawn. In her round two matches, she outclassed her Ukrainian opponent, Anhelina, winning in straight sets.
However, with that decisive victory, she sets herself up for a tough fight in the tournament’s third round. She will play former US Open winner Sloane Stephens in a battle of the best for a position in the following round. Fans are eagerly anticipating the battle between the two.