NEW YORK, Aug 28: The 2006 US Open got underway on Monday after a 65-minute rain delay. The hardcourt tournament and final Grand Slam of the season was supposed to kick off at 11am local time (1500 GMT) on Monday but two days of rain had made the courts slippery.

The rain stopped on Monday morning and Belgium's Justine Henin-Hardenne and Italy's Maria Elena Camerin got their main stadium match underway at 12:35am local time.

Meanwhile, plans to change the face of men's tennis, including a move towards more round-robin events and weekend starts, have been praised by several of the world's top players.

The ATP, the governing body of the men's tour, announced on Sunday it is to increase prize money, establish a multi-million dollar marketing fund and change the format of regular tour events to benefit player health and increase television exposure.

Events will be allowed to introduce a round-robin format, as used in the Masters Cup, while most of the tournaments that have had best-of-five-set finals will change to best-of-three.

Tournaments will change from a Monday start to a Sunday opening, featuring singles and doubles matches, pro-ams and charity events. These will be phased in next year, with eight-day events mandatory by 2009.

—Agencies