Tennis players and fans yesterday sweltered in scorching conditions at the Australian Open and are bracing for a two-day heat wave to worsen with temperatures set to exceed 40°C today.
Players were handed iced towels to cool down as temperatures soared on the courts at Melbourne Park, reaching 67°C at Rod Laver Arena in what has become a right of passage for players in the first Grand Slam of the year.
Germany’s Andrea Petkovic said that heat and fatigue had sapped her mental game, after she was knocked out by the US’ Lauren Davis following a marathon first match and a doubles.
“I just feel like somebody switched me off at one point and I couldn’t think straight. I was just trying to survive,” the world No. 98 said.
“I feel more for the spectators. There are a lot of elderly people who like to watch the tennis, there are kids, there are people who heave health issues,” Petkovic said. “A lot of players, they are in survival mode. I think for everybody ... it would be really good to close the [roof] covers.”
The Australian Open has only twice invoked its extreme heat policy, when temperatures reached more than 40°C in 2009 and 2014, halting matches.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology expects temperatures to reach 42°C in central Melbourne today, but humidity would be too low to invoke the policy, organizers said, adding that the decision is made when the ambient temperature exceeds 40°C and the wet-bulb globe temperature reading exceeds 32.5°C.
In 2014, a ball boy and player fainted during a match, and organizers were criticized for allowing the tournament to continue.
Since 2014, they have planted trees and added 3,200m2 of shade in the redevelopment of Margaret Court Arena.
Ninth seed Johanna Konta tumbled out of the second round in blazing sunshine and windy conditions after a defeat by world No. 123 Bernarda Pera.
“That’s quite nice for the people who are under the roof. Not so nice for the people who are not, but that’s a tournament decision. I think you deal with whatever comes,” Konta said on whether organizers should close roofs.
Fans had come prepared in long sleeves and hats, bringing bottled water and food to avoid long lines.
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Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
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