ON the eve of the U.S. Open, Cablevision has decided to carry the Tennis Channel.

Early rounds of the tennis tournament, which begins Monday, are being broadcast on the Tennis Channel for the first time this year — and the absence of a deal between the mostly suburban cable company and the channel had threatened to black-out a small portion of the tournament.

Cablevision is adding the channel to its digital tier — which viewers have to pay an extra $5.95 a month to get.