USTA social media wall displays fans' posts

Let's face it. We like to chat and we like to share our thoughts.

A giant social media wall installed inside the USTA Billie Jean King National Center in Flushing, Queens, this year let fans do just that -- in real time.

"@rafaelnadal bends down to see where his final autographed ball lands in Arthur Ashe on Monday," Matt Rieck, 43, of upstate Rochester, tweeted.

Rieck's message was broadcast almost instantly on the 50-foot-long by 8-foot-tall digital sign that sits next to Louis Armstrong Stadium for all visitors to see, debate and dissect.

The idea, United States Tennis Association officials said, is to create buzz among a fan base that uses social media to obtain and exchange information. All commentaries by fans and players, whether they're taking place on the courts, at home or in offices, are corralled into one space and displayed on the wall.

"We wanted to take all the conversations about the U.S. Open that was happening globally and with attendees on site and bring that into the event," said Nicole Jeter West, USTA director of digital strategies and partnerships.

All the posts are about tennis. Fans offered reactions, updates and recaps of the games.

Kira Carlton, 15, and her father, Phil Carlton, 48, of Ridgewood, N.J., snapped a picture of the wall Tuesday.

"I thought it was kind of cool," she said. "It's like bringing all the live media right here, right now. So, people can interact with everyone here even though they're at home."

As of 9:20 p.m. , tennis fans from five continents sent about 456,230 tweets, according to Xerox, one of the wall's sponsors.

Nicki Plumbo, 31, of East Petersburg, Pa., expressed her love for her idol on Facebook.

"Nothing but love for James Blake!!" she wrote. "You're awesome!!!"

Carlos Rosas, 18, of Houston, wanted the world to know how he was planning to spend his midday break. "Going home and watching the #USOpen during lunch break, always makes my day better," he tweeted.

At the U.S. Open, fans can post directly from on site, using the hashtag #usopen. Others can post from the sites of the wall's sponsors, Chase, Esurance and Xerox. There is a three-person team monitoring messages, photos and videos circulating on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to filter inappropriate comments, West said.