Jakub Mensik said it was insane to play in the hot conditions at Roland Garros, especially with the sun. He described limited time to cool down during changeovers, noting that the ballboy cannot bring a towel and that the available time is very short. After building a lead against Mariano Navone, his condition deteriorated in the fourth set as the 32C heat sapped his energy. He said he began to feel sick on court and could no longer take in electrolytes and water, leading his body to falter. He also said he should have been allowed more time to collect himself between points, but strict rules left him without enough time. After winning a long fifth-set tiebreak, he collapsed from full-body cramps and was escorted back to the locker room in a medical wheelchair.
"It’s insane to play in this weather and especially in front of the sun, Mensik said. To be there for more than four and a half hours, that’s just insane, and even with the breaks you don’t have that much time, the ballboy cannot bring you a towel during the changeover. You have just one minute, which obviously before, when you sit, it’s already just 30 seconds. So there is not that much time to cool yourself down."
"Mensik, the 26th seed and one of the most talented young players on the tour, appeared to be well on his way to a comfortable victory on Wednesday as he established a 2-1 lead in sets over the durable Argentinian Navone, but his condition rapidly deteriorated in the fourth set. As the 32C heat sapped his energy, Mensik said he began to feel sick on the court, meaning he could no longer take in electrolytes and water, and his body began to falter."
"Here it’s super-strict which I totally respect, but obviously in this heat and in these conditions it’s insane. The rules are rules, of course, but normally when a spectator will watch, he will be like: OK, give him mercy, five more seconds, 10 more seconds,’ which obviously I didn’t have. I [received a warning and] lost my first serve because of that."
"At the end of a dramatic, extended fifth-set tie-break, Mensik struck a forehand winner to win the match before collapsing on the court. The Czech had to be helped up by medical staff after appearing to suffer from full-body cramps. After leaving the court walking by himself, he was put into a medical wheelchair and escorted back to the locker room."
Read at www.theguardian.com
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