NEW YORK -- Serena Williams is both a fashion maven and big server, so she can appreciate the protective sleeve that Milos Raonic has been wearing on his right arm.
What started as a legitimate health need has turned into a bit of a superstition for the fifth-seeded Canadian. Williams just thinks it looks stylish.
"I love your arm sleeve," she tweeted to Raonic on Sunday. "It's super cool and different. Will it help my serve? I want to serve like you. (hash)CanIHaveOne."
Not that Williams needs help with her serve. She leads the WTA in aces this year, no surprise.
Raonic is third on the men's tour. He started wearing the sleeve in March at Miami to protect a rash from the sun.
Now he's breaking out different colors and patterns.
Asked if he believes the sleeve helps his play, Raonic said Saturday: "I'm not going to argue when things are going OK."
- By Rachel Cohen -- www.twitter.com/RachelCohenAP
---
The rain came too late for Maria Sharapova.
Bounced from the U.S. Open just before a downpour Sunday, Sharapova's news conference kept getting interrupted by screeching weather warnings going off on reporters' cellphones.
"Is that the flood warning?" Sharapova asked.
"Darn it. If I was only there a little longer," she said to laughter.
The fifth-seeded Sharapova didn't get a break because of the weather in her 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 loss to 10th-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, but other players did. The heavy rain and lightning forced the first suspension of play so far in the tournament.
- By James Martinez -- www.twitter/jfmartinez
---
U.S. Open Scene follows tennis' hard-court Grand Slam tournament in New York as seen by journalists from The Associated Press. It will be updated throughout the day.