Australian Open: Outside play suspended over extreme heat

"Play was suspended on outside courts mid-afternoon on Saturday under the extreme heat rules at the Australian Open. Players, officials and spectators roasted in heat at Melbourne Park on day seven of the tournament, where temperatures were expected to hit 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in the late afternoon. Matches were started an hour early to cope with the scorching conditions. On a Heat Stress Scale of 1-5, temperatures hit 36 degrees Celsius and the highest measure of the scale early afternoon, prompting the suspension."

""Play is suspended for all matches and practice on outside courts," the tournament said on X. Roofs on the courts that have them "will close and remain closed for the remainder of the match." Meanwhile, matches would not be played on open courts until 5:30 pm (0630 GMT). A match between defending champion Jannik Sinner and Eliot Spizzirri was interrupted in its third round. Sinner was already struggling with cramping when the match was halted for several minutes to allow the court to be covered."

"Temperatures became stifling fairly early in the day when defending champion Madison Keys entered the court about 10:30 am (2330 GMT, Friday). She and her compatriots Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova thrived in the conditions as they live in Florida and are well acquainted to high heat. "Just the fact that we had so many outdoor courts in the summer, it was always so hot, I hated training in the summer," Anisimova said."

Play on outside courts was suspended mid-afternoon under extreme heat rules as temperatures at Melbourne Park were expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius. Matches began an hour early to cope with the conditions. The Heat Stress Scale hit 36 degrees Celsius, prompting suspension of outdoor matches and practice; roofs on courts with them were closed and remained closed for matches, and open courts were not used until 5:30 pm (0630 GMT). A third-round match between Jannik Sinner and Eliot Spizzirri was interrupted, with Sinner struggling with cramping. Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova, accustomed to Florida heat, fared better. Organizers advised fans to wear hats, drink water and use misting fans.

Read at www.dw.com