If you follow tennis, you know that the most exciting event of the year is the US OPEN at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City. The qualifying tournament begins August 24th with the main tournament starting on August 31st culminating in the Men’s finals on September 13.  The USTA has already outlined the schedule of play. If you ask anyone who has gone to the US OPEN, they will tell you what a fantastic experience it is to be able to see the absolute best tennis in the best venue while taking in New York City. Its best to plan several days so you can find time to enjoy some shows and tourism in New York City while getting chance to experience both day and night sessions at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Also, if you want to see great players up close without spending a fortune on tickets, its best to go early in the tournament so you can get a day pass and see great play on the many outside courts.

Andy Roddick had a tough loss tonight to Del Portro the young Argentine for the second straight week in a USOPEN series even in Montreal. However, he is still my pick to run the table this year at the OPEN.

The only down side of the US OPEN is that hotel accommodation is usually extremely expensive. However, this year there are some of the lowest prices we have ever seen for decent accommodations. For example, the Holiday Inn Midtown, a modest 3 star which has decent ratings and reviews such as this on TripAdvisor has rates under $140 per night. They are right near many attractions and a convenient ride on the 7 subway to the USOPEN tennis site.

You can search for all the best hotel deals and Last Minute Packages at NYCDealAdvisor.com .

I will update you soon about more deals and tips for attending the US OPEN.