Silly question about the US Open

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I've walked past the US Open complex a thousand times (it's right across from Citi Field) and I noticed it has three different places to play - the Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium, and the grandstand.

Time for a silly question: How do they decide which stadium to use? When is it appropriate to use one of the smaller stadia and not the big (Ashe) one? Or are there times when more than one of them are used at once?

(I have never actually seen a tennis game there. I just wondered why there's more than one stadium within the complex, and when is it appropriate to use one of the smaller ones than the big one.)

I have browsed the official US Open website, but it doesn't really say much about the various stadia and when each of them is used.

 

[SmoothieX]

When it's 2 middling players in a 2nd round match, Court 14 is fine. When it's a signature matchup or getting into the late rounds, they use the big ones.

 

[DevilEyes]

I've walked past the US Open complex a thousand times (it's right across from Citi Field) and I noticed it has three different places to play - the Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium, and the grandstand.

Time for a silly question: How do they decide which stadium to use? When is it appropriate to use one of the smaller stadia and not the big (Ashe) one? Or are there times when more than one of them are used at once?

You don't actually follow tennis much, I suppose? During the US Open they are using all or nearly all the courts at the same time during the early stages of the tournament, not just the big ones, except for the evening session.... because there are too many freaking matches to play!

http://www.usopen.org/en_US/scores/schedule/index.html?promo=PhotoInNav

Which matches get to be on the central court of any Grand Slam, which ones on the second and the third biggest court, and which ones on the small outside courts, depend on the profile, ATP/WTA position and seeding of the players, celebrity status, if one of them is a former champion, and if one of them is a player from the country where the tournament takes place, things like that. But it boils down to the judgment of the organizers as to which matches are the most high-profile and interesting and will attract the most audience. I remember the cases of some players who protested being relegated to the second or third biggest court instead of the central one in some tournaments (I think Venus did it once a few years ago, I can't remember in which Grand Slam).

Naturally, when it comes to singles semifinals and finals, and doubles finals, they are all on the central court (unless rain delays and packed schedule deem otherwise, in that case doubles finals can be relegated to the second court in favor of the singles finals). In the final stages, outside courts are mostly used for the junior championship, wheelchair championship, "invitational" (veterans championship) etc.

BTW, I can't believe this is the only thread about US Open in this forum. There's a lot more talk about NBA during its summer break than about the biggest tennis tournament on the American continent during the two weeks when it's actually taking place?