Andy Roddick, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal approached U.S. Open referee Brian Earley after play was suspended due to rain Wednesday and say they only want to go back on court if the weather improves and the courts are drier.
Just after 12 p.m., all three men played a handful of games in a light drizzle before their fourth-round matches were suspended. Nadal trailed Gilles Muller 3-0, Roddick led David Ferrer 3-1 and Murray trailed Donald Young 2-1, with Nadal, Roddick and Murray serving. Murray complained to the chair umpire that the court was slippery before they went off.
Roddick told ESPN that their feelings are: If the conditions are debatable, that the tournament should err on the side of caution and not ask the players to go out and play, because they could be risking injury. Roddick said that to his credit, Earley kept an open mind and heard them out.
There are still four round-of-16 matches left to be completed on the men's side—the previously mentioned three and another between John Isner and Gilles Simon, which is currently scheduled to be played on Court 17. In order for the tournament to stay on schedule, those matches must be completed by Thursday night.
The USTA issued a statement on the matter shortly after 3:20 p.m.:
"All parties, including the players and tournament, want to get the US Open back on schedule. As of 12 noon today, the best information available to us indicated the chance of a two-hour window without rain. Unfortunately, not all light rain and mist shows up on radar. We have experienced referees, and they decide if courts are fit for play. Conditions may be not ideal, but still can be safe. However, if a player or players feel that conditions are unsafe, we listen to them, as we have always done, and the referee uses that information as part of his/her assessment on whether to continue or halt play."