U.S. Open to hold 9/11 tributes

A pair of tributes marking the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks are scheduled at the U.S. Open tennis championships before both the women's and men's singles title matches Sept. 10 and 11.

"The USTA's goal is to mark this solemn occasion in a dignified and respectful manner," U.S. Tennis Association president Joe Vegosen said in a statement. "We are one of this nation's global stages on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, and we have a special responsibility to honor those fallen and those who responded heroically on that fateful day."

For the Sept. 10 women's prime-time final, and for the men's late-afternoon Sept. 11 championship match, the numbers "9-11-01" will be added to the Arthur Ashe Stadium court and a 9-11 logo will be displayed on the stadium's upper ring. (The last three years, rain has pushed the Open a day past its scheduled final.)

Performers Cyndi Lauper, on Saturday, and Queen Latifah, on Sunday, have been lined up for the two pre-match ceremonies, and Sunday's men's final will include an honor guard from the city's police and fire departments and Port Authority police.

The 2001 Open, which debuted the tournament's first prime-time women's final on the event's second Saturday, concluded just two days before the 9/11 attacks, and USTA officials have held 9/11 tributes during the event in past years.