Caroline Wozniacki and Chelsey Gullickson took the court in Arthur Ashe stadium late Tuesday, only a small fraction of the crowd remained. Rafael Nadal, the captivating top seed on the men’s side, had already beaten Teymuraz Gabashvili in just under three hard-fought hours, and few decided to stay for the less well-known women’s No. 1.
Seeking her first major title, 2009 U.S. Open runner-up Wozniacki beat NCAA champion Chelsey Gullickson 6-1, 6-1 in the first round at Flushing Meadows.Because of long matches earlier, this one began at 11:52 p.m. Tuesday night and ended at 12:53 a.m. Wednesday.“Thank you for sticking around,” Wozniacki told what was left of the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd afterward, “even though I know it’s been a long night.”
On a day of long matches and extended play, Wozniacki simply overpowered her opponent, and then made sure to tell the few hundred people who remained to watch it how much she appreciated their support. "I want to say thanks to everyone for sticking around," she said on court. "I know it’s been a long night." The match did not begin until 11:51 p.m. because the Nadal-Gabashvili match started 90 minutes late because Maria Sharapova required three sets to beat Jarmila Groth in the final match of the day card on Ashe.So day matches turned into night matches, early night matches became late night matches, and late night matches became early Wednesday morning matches.
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