Rain washed out the entire ninth day of the US Open, leaving organisers with a backlog of matches and raising questions about why there is still no roof over the centre court.
Persistent showers delayed the scheduled start of play at Flushing Meadows for almost three hours when tournament officials decided to cancel both the day and night sessions before a single ball had been hit.
"The latest forecast indicates worsening conditions with no projected breaks in the rain through the remainder of the day and into the night," the United States Tennis Association (USTA) said in a statement.
The USTA said they hoped to resume play overnight, although more foul weather was predicted and the forecast for the rest of the week was bleak.
Tuesday's schedule had included the remaining four men's fourth-round clashes, featuring Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray against unseeded opponents, and the first two women's quarterfinals.
The Wednesday programme traditionally features two men's and two women's quarterfinals in the Arthur Ashe Stadium but was hastily rearranged to include 10 singles matches on three showcourts.
Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Nadal and Novak Djokovic were listed to play on the centre court, while American Andy Roddick was set for the Louis Armstrong Stadium and Murray was moved to the Grandstand, the smallest of the three main courts.
The US Open has become a regular victim of rain in recent years, with each of the past three men's finals being washed out and played on Mondays, and this latest cancellation was sure to reignite the annual debate over why there is no roof.
The centre courts at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon have retractable roofs, and organisers of the French Open plan to cover up their main court by 2014.
However, US Tennis Association officials have continually balked at the idea because of the enormous cost of covering Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest tennis stadium in the world.
Officials estimate the cost would be in excess of $US150 million and say the money would be better spent on grassroots tennis programmes.
