Attention tennis fans, it’s the last grand slam of the year, and this time we’re even in with a chance of winning. Well, I say we, but obviously I mean Andy Murray. Exciting it may be, but before the tantalising whiff of possible victory leads us to forget that it’s not the winning or the losing (just in case he does), let us consider the many benefits of taking part.
Battles of titans apart, the great thing about the US Open is that it draws our attention to parts of New York that other tournaments cannot reach: Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens.
A former dumping ground, Flushing was transformed into a 1,255-acre park for the 1939 World's Fair. And, while the area used to be known for some of its former residents – including Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie and Louis Armstrong (who has a stadium named after him) - now, as any baseball fan will tell you, it's home to the New York Mets’ Citi Field stadium, and also, although perhaps of less interest to baseball aficionados, the Queens Museum of Art. Another draw is the Unisphere, one of the largest steel globes in the world (you may not know the name, but you’ll recognise it).
Admittedly though, if it’s the stars you’re after, you’ll be better off sticking to Manhattan proper. Roger Federer fans should look to the elegant Carlyle hotel on Madison Avenue, where the fifth-time defending champion will get to calm his grand-slam nerves in a $3,075-a-night suite (that does include personally monogrammed pillows). A good bet for Rafael Nadal will be the Art Deco Jumeirah Essex House, overlooking Central Park, where he stayed last year. And our boy Murray? Our money’s on the prestigious West 57th Street by Hilton Club. He booked in here for the US Open last year, and, seeing as it’s only one block away from fashion-central 5th Avenue, it’s still an apt choice for the new face of Fred Perry.
US Open 2009 begins today and runs until September 13. To find out more visit usopen.org
