Anyone been or going to US Open?

This will be my first time attending any tennis tournament. I'm going with a friend who went last year and I'm really excited to see some big names in Arthur Ashe. We will be attending Fri. August 30 for the day, which I guess will be 2nd round play.

I guess it's pretty much a gamble as to who you will see play the 3 matches in Arthur Ashe, but even if a certain player was not in the match, is there a good chance they would be practicing on the grounds somewhere you could go watch for a while? I'm really hoping to see the guy in my avatar.

Thanks

The practice court schedule is posted daily, and yes you get a good view.

Also your not confined to just Ashe Stadium.

You'll see many excellent matches just by walking around the grounds, so don't confine yourself to your seat in Ashe, which may be so far away that you won't get a good view. Depending on what court Novak is practicing on you may get a good view, or not.

Never hit the stadium. I always walk the grounds and manage to see some well known players involved in some real battles.

My daughter is expecting right around the dates of the open so I can't commit to tickets.

You would think she would have taken the open into consideration prior to conceiving :mrgreen::mrgreen:

Went in 2011 with a close friend and had the time of our lives! Saw Fed practicing on Ashe, front row....even got his practice balls - my avatar. My experience is that it's all about timing and a little bit of luck when seeing a certain player.
Hubby and I are going to NYC for our 10 yr Anniversary and we have tickets for session 1-4. We went big and got good seats for both night sessions. Very excited for August!

Picking up my tickets tomorrow at the box office- Days 1 and 5.

Tourists: Enjoy your time here. Just remember to exit to the right and tip your bartenders.

Went in 2012. Great experience!!


Check out some of the smaller outer courts if you are a fan of Doubles too.
Court 17(?) is like a mini stadium. Got to see Nishikori there.

Bring $$$, bring sunscreen, seek water and shade, rinse and repeat!!!

Hi everyone -
Been 5 or 6 years since I have been to the open. Going the saturday of the middle weekend (labor day weekend) and very excited.

Is the strategy still the same - Get the cheapest tickets possible for Ashe so that if there is a good match, you have a seat, but often the stadium is not full so you can zip down to the best seat available in that, or a nearby, section?

Thanks in advance...

NMTennis said:

Hi everyone -
Been 5 or 6 years since I have been to the open. Going the saturday of the middle weekend (labor day weekend) and very excited.

Is the strategy still the same - Get the cheapest tickets possible for Ashe so that if there is a good match, you have a seat, but often the stadium is not full so you can zip down to the best seat available in that, or a nearby, section?

Thanks in advance...

Click to expand...

Still works for first week. This year I am going to do that for mens quarters.

In the food court, the Carnegie Deli outlet can be avoided; I'm one of those who feel the Deli hasn't been the same since Leo Steiner ("the deli lama") died 25 years ago, the quality noticeably lessened. The seasoned waffle fries, on Open staple, seem less seasoned than they were ten or so years ago, another example of the homogenization of commercial enterprises. The burgers are fine, but may require a second mortgage.

This is advice for the OP and anyone going to the US Open in the future.

Make sure if you are traveling into New York by any means and have reservations, book 1-2 days before and after the ticket dates you bought.

Last year, I bought the woman's finals ticket for Saturday and it rained out. My flight leaves Sunday morning. They rescheduled the final for Sunday afternoon. So I was so out of luck.

The ticket people wouldn't even let me exchange tickets or anything to get some value out of it. They were actually really rude which is why I am never going back.

^^ can't say that I blame them, really. If you buy tickets for a premium event and then have to leave town before the rain-out re-schedule date, it's generally going to be your responsibility to do something with those tickets.

Lenny Kravitz is performing opening night. Last time I saw him I was a sophomore in college and he still had the dreads. I am beyond excited for this trip!

Going to the USO! Finally!! We have tickets for Sat night Ashe session middle Sat and we wanted to get day session general admission for 9/1, should we just get there early and wait in line? Scalp and avoid the lines?

thanks,

There are free to watch qualification matches!
Those are well worth the bus, subway fees!!!
See many great players duke it out for a spot!

Where is the best place to find scalpers, people with extra tickets? I don't want to sit in promenade and hear loge isn't that much better.

Can/will people in boxes sell extras?

In Miami the first week people unload their box tickets for less than $50 frequently. Would say $150 a ticket be possible?

Do grounds tickets ever sellout ?

I am thinking about going on the first two days ?

When going to the USO for the 11am session, do you normally show up early?
(I'm assuming that 11am is match play, and fans/players show up much earlier for warm-up, right?)

I'll be going solo this year - if anyone wants an eating buddy at/around the USO on Labor Day

^^Yes, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they will let you in at 10? Lines are long though, so showing up early is prob wise.

Does anyone know where I can find out what promo events they are doing in Manhattan before the Open starts? I am thinking Nike store or otherwise?

dislexia and poor eyesight made your post quite amusing for about... 2 seconds. =]

sorry i don't have a real answer for that...

akutsu said:

dislexia and poor eyesight made your post quite amusing for about... 2 seconds. =]

sorry i don't have a real answer for that...

Click to expand...

hey send me an email lets meet up!

akutsu said:

When going to the USO for the 11am session, do you normally show up early?
(I'm assuming that 11am is match play, and fans/players show up much earlier for warm-up, right?)

I'll be going solo this year - if anyone wants an eating buddy at/around the USO on Labor Day

Click to expand...

The gates are opened at 10 am. If you want to pass through quickly, so not bring a bag (back packs are, I believe, forbidden)--if you do you got to a separate line and wait, wait, wait. My usual strategy is to put a few power bars (or similar) and a small water bottle (empty) into my cargo shorts and go through the fast line.

zapvor said:

hey send me an email lets meet up!

Click to expand...

hmm, looks like PMs/email features aren't available right now - or i just don't see them in your user CP

I thought the guards at the gate asked if you were a TW member and if so (lying is futile - they spot check with the N S A), you were not allowed on the grounds?

akutsu said:

hmm, looks like PMs/email features aren't available right now - or i just don't see them in your user CP

Click to expand...

oh you dont have enough po

zapvor said:

oh you dont have enough posts. mitidor @ gmail

Click to expand...

gotcha - I shoulda read the forum rules more closely.

Just got back from our trip and it was unreal! We had so much fun and I think my husband has a whole new appreciation for the game. We successfully maneuvered the subway and had two great days/ nights of tennis!
Some of the highlights:
MONDAY
*Got to watch Gulbis implode over 5 sets on day 1. I have always enjoyed his game and considered myself a fan, but man.....is he a jerk on court. I think he saves his best behavior for the cameras. He would literally glare at the crowd when he'd lose a point/game/set. He complained throughout the whole match about people getting up during points - i agreed they were idiots with no tennis ettiquette but he just took it way to far. At one point he exchanged words with a fan in what I can only assume was Latvian. It didn't sound friendly. The only redeeming quality he showed was giving this young girl his smashed racquet while a bunch of bratty young boys were yelling at him to give it to them.
*During the Gulbis match I left to get a drink and as I was walking under the bleachers of court 4 and I noticed Paul Annacone on the phone. I felt like such a dork, I kept looking at him. Nobody gave him a second glance! I think Roger was practicing on P3 and he just stepped out to take a call?
* had courtside for opening night. Lenny Kravitz was awesome! We were 3 rows behind the players box and saw Serena's whole crew. Her Mom was really quiet, but her one sister was really friendly and greeted everyone who came into the box.
* BJK was in the suite behind us. Pretty cool to be so close to her!
TUESDAY
* Made my husbands day to watch Ivanovic on Grandstand and then catch the end of the Kirelnko match on court 7. He calls them the "tennis hotties"
*saw the entire Dimitrov match. He is really talented and quite the shot maker, but honestly Sousa seemed to want to win more. We were in the second row on court 7 and I have some pretty cool pics of Girgor - all iPhone The people sitting next to us were Aussie's who's son trained with Sousa in Barcelona. They new him personally so it was cool to watch their emotions over the course of the match.
* Had the same nice seats for Fed's match. I will say it here: Mirka is much prettier and and thinner in real life. She is quite tall! I was a bit star struck watching his box walk in! Love watching Fed live. My husband said he was happy to get to see him play before he retired.
*Saw Mats Wilander by the fountains. Looked like he had just ended an interview and was snapping quick pictures with fans!
* Literally bumped into Jose Higueras while walking thru the grounds. Too many Heineken's He looked annoyed even though I apologized.
*we again had the same seats for night session and watched as Novak's box walked in. Jelena his GF is absolutely stunning! She is bitsy (short and petite) but not sickening skinny. They were very subdued during the match. The crowd was really applauding Berenkis' great shots, not as much Novak. You could tell this kind of bothered the whole box, but it was almost like they expected that. Definitely no crazy fist pumps coming from any of them.
* Stayed for the first set of Vika's match, but we were sunburn, drunk and tired. We blew the 2nd set off assuming it would be more of the same and got back to our hotel. No RedFoo in the box Kind of disappointed since I was telling my husband what a crazy dude he is. Are they not dating anymore?
We did lots of other stuff while we were in NYC, but this was definitely the highlight!

seleswannabe said:

Just got back from our trip and it was unreal! We had so much fun and I think my husband has a whole new appreciation for the game. We successfully maneuvered the subway and had two great days/ nights of tennis!
Some of the highlights:
MONDAY
*Got to watch Gulbis implode over 5 sets on day 1. I have always enjoyed his game and considered myself a fan, but man.....is he a jerk on court. I think he saves his best behavior for the cameras. He would literally glare at the crowd when he'd lose a point/game/set. He complained throughout the whole match about people getting up during points - i agrenny Kravitz was awesome! We were 3 rows behind the players box and saw Serena's whole crew. Her Mom was really quiet, but her one sister was really friendly and greeted everyone who came into the box.
* BJK was in the suite behind us. Pretty cool to be so close to her!
TUESDAY
us wet to see him play before he retired.
*SF is absolutely stunning! She is bitsy (short and petite) but not sickeniff assuming it would be more of the same and got back to our hotel. No RedFoo in the box Kind of disappointed since I was telling my husband what a crazy dude he is. Are they not dating anymore?
We did lots of other stuff while we were in NYC, but this was definitely the highlight!

Click to expand...

thanks for the write up! very cool! i was there monday at the gulbis match too!

Just got back...

Yesterday was a disaster as put Murray on Armstrong. All matches on Ashe had finished by 5pm, so everyone went to Armstrong and there was a line a mile long for a full Armstrong. Really poor by USTA.

Purchased tickets via stub hub. Really no need to pay fees. Scalpers or people trying to sell extras by Mets parking lot(illegal within 1500 feet of tennis center). I got courtside seats with club passes for 150 each which is a 1/3 of face value.

^

Wow, that's ridiculous.

Nice about the tickets though...