Maria Sharapova wore an ice vest. A ball girl had to be treated for heat illness. Caroline Wozniacki saw her water bottle melt. Peng Shuai vomited. It became very hot at the Australian Open yesterday--108 degrees Fahrenheit, to be exact. Tournament administrators are said to be discussing possibility to closing all of the courts except those with roofs during the current heat wave. I don't think it will happen because too many days will be lost.
Can you imagine what this would be like if the tournament still had the old rebound ace surface? Most of the players would have ankle injuries because the courts would be such a sticky mess. As it is, ankle injuries occur, anyway. Jelena Jankovic rolled her ankle and hurt her knee in her first round match against Misaki Doi, but prevailed in straight sets.
Defending champion Victoria Azarenka had a difficult time with Johanna Larsson in the first set, but then dominated the second set, winning 7-6, 6-2. Azarenka often looks uncomfortable in early rounds, but she gets through them. Maria Sharapova, Agnieszka Radwanska (playing three crazy sets and hitting nine aces), Simon Halp, and Sloane Stephens all advanced. 2013 quarterfinalist Svetlana Kuznetsova, however, was beaten in straight sets by Elina Svitolina.
Two recommended second round matches coming up today are Sam Stosur vs. Tsvetana Pironkova, and Zheng Jie vs. Madison Keys. One is the featured night match, and the other comes on very late in the U.S., so I may have to miss both of them.
I'm probably the last person to notice this: The seats in the Australian tennis arenas are green, tan, and some brown. At a distance it's quite appealing - it looks like vegetation, not cold blue or dead gray seats. Go Aussies. The courts are no longer grass, but there's hint of it there in the stands.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't noticed--I really wasn' looking. But now I am, and they look good.
ReplyDeleteI don't often agree with Andy Murray but in this I do, playing in this heat - the disregard to player health for the almighty profit - is really bad for the sport.
ReplyDeleteThis tournament gets hotter and hotter each year. There really needs to be a strategic plan around moving the dates (to cooler temps in Australia)or a plan to cool down the courts. It's terrible and somewhat awful to witness.
And just think--if they hadn't gotten rid of the rebound ace surface, if would be even worse!
ReplyDeleteRemember, a couple of years ago, when the rubber on the wheelchair tires melted? I agree--it's ridiculous. How "tough" do players have to be? And why would anyone want to be in the crowd?
There's a British EuroSports screen where they had the cameras on, without announcers, in the Rod Laver Arena. It was empty, between matches, and there they were, green and tan and a few brown seats...
ReplyDeleteSeats that look to be organic!!!
ReplyDeleteLet's hope they don't melt :(
ReplyDelete