After year away, excited fans return to U.S. Open but confront long lines

FILE PHOTO: Tennis fans, who are required to show proof of vaccination against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), stand in a long line to enter the grounds of the USTA Billie King National Tennis Center on the first day of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament, in the Queens borough of New York City, New York, U.S. August 30, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fans attending the U.S. Open on Monday confronted long lines at the main gate's security checkpoint, forcing some ticket holders to wait in the heat for up to two hours to gain entry.

The United States Tennis Association, which oversees the event, acknowledged the delays but said the last-minute decision to impose a vaccine requirement for fans was not to blame.