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NEW YORK -- The roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium, three years in the making, might be the talk -- and ultimately the savior and star -- of this years event, but the toupee hasnt radically altered the stadiums structure nearly as much as a massive renovation has transformed roughly half of the US Opens 45 acres.This is impressive, said one fan waiting with a companion to enter the new stand-alone Grandstand Stadium built into the southwest end of the grounds. I thought they blew it when they decided to get rid of the old one, but this is something. Its pretty neat.The Grandstand is a sunken bowl surrounded by 8,125 seats. It didnt take savvy fans long on a humid day, when the mercury hit the mid-90s, to find the significant band of seats on the extreme west side that offer a US Open commodity in shade thats as rare as a male American singles contender these days.Anchoring the southwest corner of the grounds, the Grandstand has food concessions at ground level, in the shadow of its bowl. Walkways flow from the Grandstand to the south plaza, which in years past has often been overcrowded. But all the courts on the south side have been moved back about 30 feet, allowing for a significant expansion of the nearby plaza. That includes the space around the fountains and the statue of Arthur Ashe.The big dig also enabled the USTA to create a wide boulevard that now fronts the south-side courts. Those courts were all rebuilt with permanent seating and slick, aluminum-skinned entries that create a great sense of intimacy for those watching -- and playing -- inside.This enhancement underscores a noteworthy feature of the tournament. The US Open has always tried to play up its egalitarian appeal. That effort doesnt always pass the smell test. How could it? But the improvements to the field courts -- and it began with the creation of the practice courts complex (Nos. 4-6) a year ago -- have in effect given every court that much more prestige.Now, every court feels a little bit like a center court. Thats a significant achievement.There has been a cost as well. You no longer get the feeling that on certain courts, the match youre watching is taking place in a public park.As one veteran journalist put it, It feels like theres an awful lot of concrete and steel out there.That old parks-and-rec feeling may be gone, but the ghosts and traditions of the US Opens past are easily conjured and find ways to live on. There was much weeping and gnashing of teeth when the USTA announced that the beloved old Grandstand appended to the side of Louis Armstrong Stadium would be removed to be replaced by the new one that is kitty-corner on the grounds.The new Grandstand certainly is different, but its a fair guess that some of those shade-hoggers were the same characters who in years past staked out the west stand of the old Grandstand for the same reason. By the way, the old Grandstand is still in use, under the forlorn name old Grandstand. It will be torn down along with the rest of Armstrong after this tournament, and a bigger Armstrong Stadium will be built.Courts 11 and 12 more or less stand alone in the center of the grounds, between the original food court near Armstrong and the south plaza fountains. The single, tall permanent stand on the west side of No. 11 now has a mirror-image stand on the east side of 12, enveloping the courts in a microenvironment. But when the wind is right, rich and pungent smoke from the nearby hamburger stand still wafts over Court 11 -- just as it did when Louis Armstrong was the only stadium on the site, and the area was occupied by Court No. 1.Back then, the burgers were cooked on open charcoal fires near the court. The players sometimes coughed and literally choked on the greasy smoke, dispensing it from their vision with a wave of a hand as they prepared to receive serve.Over the years, the old Grandstand became famous for producing great upsets and close, electrifying five-set battles. The first match on the new Grandstand featured a 20-year-old American, No. 146 Taylor Townsend, clashing with former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki. Townsend, calling upon all kinds of lefty juju, won the first set and took Wozniacki to 4-4 in the third before capitulating.The new Grandstand didnt quite deliver the upset that Grandstand faithful probably hoped for. Give it time. After all, the old one isnt even gone yet. 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ALTO DEL NARANCO, Spain -- Spaniard David de la Cruz took the lead of the Spanish Vuelta from Nairo Quintana after completing a successful breakaway to win the mountainous ninth stage on Sunday.The Etixx-Quick Step rider earned his first win at a grand tour after he pulled away from a small escape group, dropping runner-up Dries Devenyns with 600 meters (yards) left on the last of five ascents in the northern mountains.The 27-year-old De la Cruz finished the route from Cistierna to the Alto del Naranco in three hours, 47 minutes, 56 seconds.I won the double prize! said De la Cruz. I had never won a stage at a major race, and to become the leader is incredible. Lets see how long I can hold onto it, but nobody is taking it away from me today.De la Cruz entered the stage in 15th place, 2 minutes, 46 seconds behind Quintanas overnight lead. His attack from distance took him to the top of the overall classification with aa 22-second advantage over Quintana.ddddddddddddQuintanas Movistar teammate Alejandro Valverde is in third place at 41 seconds back, followed by Tour de France winner Chris Froome at :49 off the pace. The rest of the field trails by more than a minute, including three-time Vuelta winner Alberto Contador at over 2 minutes behind.Quintana, Froome and the other title hopefuls will likely attack De la Cruz on Mondays 188.7-kilometer (117.2-mile) stage that starts along the Atlantic coast. Its special-category finish at the Lagos de Covadonga is considered one of the classic, and most demanding, ascents of the three-week race.Giving up the lead today doesnt worry us, Quintana said. We are still feeling strong and riding well as a group. Tomorrow will be an important day at Lagos (de Covadonga). ' ' '