The smell of hot dogs wafts over the outside courts and planes roar overhead to the nearby La Guardia airport, although measures have been taken in recent years to reduce the noise.

"New York is a hard town. There is a very noisy atmosphere around the courts with people talking and moving about," said Hutchins.

"That is multiplied many times over if you are playing a match in the night session.

"It can make it a very tough physical situation, especially when you have to win seven best-of-five-set matches in a fortnight."

The demands of television mean that, unlike in other Grand Slam events, the successful semi finalists have to play the final the very next day.

The surface used at Flushing Meadows this year is called Deco Turf II, an acrylic material similar to that used at the Australian Open, but not exactly the same.

"Unlike on clay, there is no sliding, so the players will have to wear shoes that grip better," explained Hutchins.

"The ball still bounces fairly high, so expect to see people spinning second serves out wide on the backhand side.