WTA stars in Connecticut provide eclipse public service announcement
NEW HAVEN, CT, USA - Play is scheduled to start a little earlier at the Connecticut Open presented by United Technologies today - because of the eclipse of the sun later on.
The moon will pass in front of the sun, obscuring it from view, meaning a loss of light and heat.
In some areas of the USA, it will be a total eclipse - but in Connecticut, it will be partial, covering around 70 per cent of the sun for a few minutes at around 2.45pm EST.
That is why the on-court action begins at 10am today - but Kristina Mladenovic is still a bit worried that the eclipse might interfere with her match.
We gonna play during the Eclipse?? How's gonna be?? @WTA #playsuspendedduetoeclipse? https://t.co/Rcn1Ek79WM
— Kristina Mladenovic (@KikiMladenovic) August 21, 2017
Fortunately, three-time Connecticut Open champion Petra Kvitova was on hand to explain the astronomy to her tour rivals - including reigning title-holder Agnieszka Radwanska, Dominika Cibulkova, and Mladenovic herself.
Vital message re TODAY's #eclipse from #CTOpenTennis astronomers* @Petra_Kvitova @ARadwanska, @KikiMladenovic @Cibulkova
*not astronomers pic.twitter.com/HGJiAoTWjU— Connecticut Open (@connecticutopen) August 21, 2017