NEW YORK (AP) The U.S. Tennis Association says the site of the U.S. Open has ``minimal damage'' from Tropical Storm Irene and the aim is to begin the Grand Slam tournament on time.
In a posting on the tournament website Sunday, the USTA says workers are preparing the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for a scheduled 11 a.m. start Monday.
The USTA says it is in contact with New York City officials about mass transit, road conditions ``and the ability to start the event on Monday.''
Irene made landfall in New York as a tropical storm with 65 mph winds, not the 100-mph hurricane that had churned up the East Coast.