NEW HAVEN, Connecticut (AP)—Rain has suspended play at the Pilot Pen tennis tournament, pushing Sunday’s scheduled matches to Monday.
Several qualifying matches began indoors at Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center after overnight rain, and another storm moved through in the afternoon, forcing the suspension of some first-round men’s and women’s matches and the postponement of others.
“It’s really difficult to concentrate on your game and concentrate on the schedule of your match [when it rains],” said Russia’s Elena Vesnina, who advanced to the main draw through qualifying and played indoors Sunday. “I had this experience last year, so I was just stronger and had to concentrate.”
Play will start Monday morning, including matches involving Elena Dementieva of Russia, American teenager Melanie Oudin and local favorite James Blake. Russia’s Dinara Safina will play Francesca Schiavone of Italy in the night match.
American Mardy Fish, who lost to Roger Federer in the final of the Cincinnati Masters earlier Sunday, withdrew citing fatigue.
Also withdrawing was Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia, who was scheduled to face Oudin in the first round. Pavlyuchenkova cited a hip injury in her withdrawal.