By Paul Newman at Flushing Meadows
Scheduling of matches here at the US Open is always a bone of contention. American television, as you would expect, calls the shots. The main aim is always to have the best matches in the evening, when TV audiences will be at their peak. That inevitably means the evening sessions are top-heavy with American players. Tonight's is a classic example, the Williams sisters going on court first for their quarter-final followed by Mardy Fish taking on Rafael Nadal. Andy Roddick's matches are almost guaranteed to be staged in Arthur Ashe Stadium at prime time.
Andy Murray's matches have generally been at times that suit British television. The exception was his fourth-round win over Stanislas Wawrinka, which finished just before 3.30 in the morning BST. His other matches, like Anne Keothavong’s three in the first week, have been played in the morning or afternoon here, making for good viewing times back home. They have also generally been good for British daily newspapers, although they have sometimes been too late to make the first editions.
There is a clear logic to most of the scheduling decisions, though you did wonder what the thinking was behind today’s programme. Arthur Ashe Stadium kicked off with a women’s doubles quarter-final, which went on for two and a half hours. It meant that the singles quarter-final between Dinara Safina and Flavia Pennetta did not begin until after 2pm, which in turn delayed the start of Murray's quarter-final against Juan Martin del Potro.
You would hardly expect the US Open to base its scheduling around European media demands, but there were plenty of frustrated British reporters and commentators around Flushing Meadows this afternoon.
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