| Novak Djokovic tries to cope with the intense heat… |
Sloane Stephens resumes the defense of her U.S. Open crown against unseeded Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina on Wednesday, but will also have to contend with stifling weather conditions that show few signs of easing.
The oppressive heat and humidity in New York prompted organisers to implement its heat policy to provide some relief for the players on Tuesday with temperatures predicted to inch up to 96 Fahrenheit (35.5 Celsius) on Wednesday.
With the roofs of both the Louis Armstrong and Arthur Ashe stadiums set to stay open, players on court for the morning session at Flushing Meadows will bear the brunt of the heatwave.
Briton Andy Murray, playing in his first Grand Slam since undergoing hip surgery, follows Stephens on Arthur Ashe, where he will take on Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco for a place in the third round.
Over on Louis Armstrong, 16th seed Venus Williams is up against Italy’s Camila Giorgi in the afternoon session, followed by 2009 champion and third seed Juan Martin del Potro.
The big-serving Argentine, a crowd favorite in New York, breezed through his first round encounter with American Donald Young in straight sets and will hope to turn in a similarly clinical performance against Young’s compatriot Denis Kudla.
Swiss wildcard Stan Wawrinka, the 2016 champion, is first on Grandstand against France’s Ugo Humbert, before 11th seed John Isner faces Chilean Nicolas Jarry.
Last year’s runner up Kevin Anderson, who was pushed to five sets by American Ryan Harrison in an energy-sapping first round encounter, will find himself back on court 17 to take on Jeremy Chardy.
Anderson, who lost to Rafa Nadal in last year’s final, looked to be hampered by a leg injury against Harrison but will take confidence from the ease with which he beat Chardy in straight sets at the Cincinnati Open this month.
The weather should ease slightly in the evening, with meteorologists predicting a 40 percent chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms developing.
Serena Williams is first out on Arthur Ashe for the evening session to face Germany’s Carina Witthoeft before Nadal faces unseeded Vasek Pospisil.
Nadal progressed to round two after his good friend and fellow Spaniard David Ferrer retired with a calf injury on Monday and will need to find a way neutralize Canadian Pospisil’s strong serve and powerful forehand.
Schedule: Men’s Singles
Day 3, Wednesday, Aug. 29
No. 1 Rafael Nadal vs. Vasek Pospisil
No. 3 Juan Martin del Potro vs. Denis Kudla
No. 5 Kevin Anderson vs. Jeremy Chardy
No. 9 Dominic Thiem vs. Steve Johnson
No. 11 John Isner vs. Nicolas Jarry
No. 15 Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Daniil Medvedev
No. 18 Jack Sock vs. Nikoloz Basilashvili
No. 20 Borna Coric vs. Roberto Carballes Baena
No. 25 Milos Raonic vs. Gilles Simon
No. 27 Karen Khachanov vs. Lorenzo Sonego
No. 29 Denis Shapovalov vs. Andreas Seppi
No. 31 Fernando Verdasco vs. Andy Murray
Ugo Humbert vs. Stan Wawrinka
Cameron Norrie vs. Dusan Lajovic
Taylor Ftiz vs. Jason Kubler
Guido Pella vs. Paolo Lorenzi
Schedule: Women’s Singles
Day 3, Wednesday, Aug. 29
No. 3 Sloane Stephens vs. Anhelina Kalinina
No. 7 Elina Svitolina vs. Tatjana Maria
No. 8 Karolina Pliskova vs. Ana Bogdan
No. 9 Julia Goerges vs. Ekaterina Makarova
No. 12 Garbine Muguruza vs. Karolina Muchova
No. 15 Elise Mertens vs. Vera Lapko
No. 16 Venus Williams vs. Camila Giorgi
No. 17 Serena Williams vs. Carina Witthoeft
No. 18 Ashleigh Barty vs. Lucie Safarova
No. 19 Anastasija Sevastova vs. Claire Liu
No. 23 Barbora Strycova vs. Lara Arruabarrena
No. 25 Daria Gavrilova vs. Victoria Azarenka
No. 32 Maria Sakkari vs. Sofia Kenin
Kaia Kanepi vs. JIl Teichmann
Qiang Wang vs. Irina-Camelia Begu
Vania King vs. Rebecca Peterson