NEW YORK - The usual last-minute preparations for the US Open were aborted Saturday as Flushing Meadows was shut down in anticipation of Hurricane Irene, which hit New York this weekend.

Players were told to go and find alternative places to practice as officials took the unusual step of locking up the National Tennis Center in the countdown to the last grand slam of the year.

Some of the top players, including Serena Williams and world No 1 Novak Djokovic, cancelled their scheduled press conferences as the first showers arrived Saturday afternoon and security prepared to lock the gates in preparation for the storm.