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AP source: Paire out of US Open after positive COVID-19 test

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‘Little bit sad’: US Open show set to go on despite pandemic

NEW YORK &mdash; The first time Kim Clijsters entered the U.S. Open, all the way back in 1999, she faced a certain someone by the name of Serena Williams.
				All these years later, with play at Flushing Meadows set to begin Monday, three-time U.S. Open champion Clijsters is back on the scene, out of retirement at age 37 and entered in a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since 2012.
				And Williams, less than a month from turning 39, is still at the top of tennis, the runner-up in New York each of the past two years and at four of the past seven major championships.
				Asked to name a moment that sticks in her memory, Clijsters pointed to that first meeting against Williams, who won 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 in the third round and would go on to claim the first of her 23 Grand Slam trophies.
				&ldquo;It was an incredible match. The atmosphere was great. For me, that kind of, I think, started the energy that I feel here when I play here,&rdquo; said Clijsters, who won the U.S. Open in 2005, 2009 (defeating Williams in the final) and 2010, along with the 2011 Australian Open.
				&ldquo;Any night match that you get to play here at the U.S. Open on Arthur Ashe is incredible,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s nothing like anything else anywhere else.&rdquo;
				As for Clijsters&rsquo; thoughts on Williams and the possibility of equaling Margaret Court&rsquo;s total of 24 Slam singles titles?
				&ldquo;The great results she had, not even a year after her daughter was born &mdash; playing Grand Slam finals, competing for Grand Slam titles &mdash; was, I think, incredible,&rdquo; Clijsters said. &ldquo;Obviously, a lot of people talk about it. I think also for her, it gets harder to kind of not let it get to you, I think. She&rsquo;s still working at it very hard, very passionate out there. That&rsquo;s what we love to see. She&rsquo;s a great competitor. Always has been that. You can only support that for somebody who has achieved so much and done so much.&rdquo;
				Here are other things to know as the U.S. Open gets started:
				Coronavirus
				The pandemic will loom over the two weeks. How couldn&rsquo;t it? In April, indoor practice courts housed a field hospital. On Sunday, the first player, 17th-seeded Benoit Paire of France, tested positive for COVID-19. There are no spectators. Players&rsquo; entourages are limited to three people. Everyone on the grounds must wear masks.
				Unbeaten Djokovic 
				Novak Djokovic is 23-0 in 2020, the best opening to a season for a man since he went 41-0 in 2011. He&rsquo;s also the only member of the Big Three in New York: Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are not in the draw. That trio has collected the past 13 Grand Slam trophies in a row; that includes five of the last seven for Djokovic alone. &ldquo;Whether I have a bigger chance to win it because Roger and Rafa are not here, I really don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; Djokovic said. &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s unfair for me to talk about. That, in a way, is kind of disrespectful towards other players who are here.&rdquo;
				Injuries? 
				Ramping up to top-flight competition after so many months away because of the pandemic could lead to injuries. During the Western & Southern Open, for example, Djokovic dealt with a neck issue and two-time major champion Naomi Osaka pulled out of that tournament&rsquo;s final because of a left hamstring problem. &ldquo;I do think that still a lot of players are going to have problems and we&rsquo;re going to see a lot of withdrawals&rdquo; at the U.S. Open, 2019 runner-up Daniil Medvedev said, &ldquo;especially if it&rsquo;s going to be hot, because &#8230; after six months without competitive tennis, to play (best) out of five (sets) is tough.&rdquo;
				Court speed
				Players testing the Billie Jean King Nationals Tennis Center courts in practice or during competition at the Western & Southern Open &mdash; normally held in Ohio, it shifted to Flushing Meadows as part of a &ldquo;controlled environment&rdquo; &mdash; seemed pretty much in agreement: The speed is faster everywhere except maybe Ashe and Louis Amstrong Stadium. The brand of the U.S. Open&rsquo;s court surfaces changed for the first time since 1978, with a five-year agreement to use Laykold hard courts made by Advanced Polymer Technology. &ldquo;At least 20-30% quicker than last year&rsquo;s,&rdquo; Djokovic said.
				Hawkeye live
				There will be line judges only on the two largest courts. Everywhere else, a chair umpire will be assisted by electronic line-calling &mdash; removing the human element in the name of social distancing. Other concessions include: qualifying and mixed doubles were eliminated entirely; the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s doubles fields were reduced by half; total prize money decreased, including a cut from $3.85 million to $3 million each to the singles champions.

US OPEN ‘20: Clijsters’ return, Serena, other things to know