Kevin Anderson and Diego Schwartzman’s second-round singles match stopped early in the second set as water passed through several openings in the roof of Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The contest was later moved to Arthur Ashe Stadium and ended shortly after 1 a.m. ET with Schwartzman winning in straight sets 7-6 6-3 6-4.
“Thank you all for staying tonight,” Schwartzman said in his court interview.
“The crazy weather. (It was) very difficult before the game. We were talking not only because we want to play, (but) also because security and the government, the police, everyone (who) participated in the decision to come to this court “.
New York City declared a state of emergency in the early hours of Thursday morning, as the northeast region was hit by strong winds and heavy rainfall.
According to reports from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and Mayor Hector Lora of Passaic, New Jersey, at least eight people have died in storm-related deaths in New York and New Jersey.
Newark, New Jersey, experienced its wettest day in history on Wednesday, and Central Park also recorded its wettest hour with 3.15 inches of rain between 8:51 p.m. and 9:51 p.m. ET.
As the rain descended on Flushing Meadows, fans turned to ponchos and umbrellas to avoid the elements. Blowers were brought to clean water from the courts and ball kids also scrubbed the surface with towels.
There were two rain delays in the first set of 108 minutes between Schwartzman and Anderson before the game was suspended three points from the second set.
It was resumed after the conclusion of the match between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Adrian Mannarino on Arthur Ashe, who has a roof.
“I could hear (the rain),” Tsitsipas told reporters after his 6-3 6-4 7-6 6-0 victory. “At first, I thought it was the crowd, people were talking in the back seats, but now … I just realized it wasn’t the people, it was the rain. There was just a lot of noise up there.
“Regardless, I have a bed here, so I could have a night here to sleep.”
The match between Angelique Kerber and Anhelina Kalinina, which took place on Wednesday at the Louis Armstrong Stadium, was moved to Thursday.
With limited train services from stations near Flushing Meadows, the U.S. Tennis Association said it is working with New York authorities to identify routes to get fans back home.
CNN’s Jill Martin contributed to the reports.