Defending champion Naomi Osaka had been scheduled to face Olga Danilovic of Serbia in the first match of Wednesday at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
NEW YORK — Defending champion Naomi Osaka returned to the third round of the U.S. Open on Wednesday when her opponent withdrew because of illness. Osaka had been scheduled to face Olga Danilovic of Serbia in the first match of the day at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Instead, the U.S. Tennis Association moved the match between women’s No.12 seed Simona Halep and Kristina Kucova into that spot. That figured to be one of the few matches to start on time on a day when heavy rain was expected in the New York area. Puddles filled the grounds around the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, though rain had stopped as fans began to enter for the day session. Play started just after noon on the outside courts after they were dried following morning rain. No.5 seed Andrey Rublev and 15th-seeded Grigor Dimitrov were among the players who got started late after play was delayed on the courts that aren’t covered.
