CNN
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Play was postponed for hours at the Australian Open due to scorching Melbourne heat on Tuesday, a decision some have expressed irritation with.
As temperatures reached nearly 36 degrees Celsius (nearly 97 degrees Fahrenheit), tournament organizers announced around 2 p.m. local time (10 p.m. ET Monday) that games on the outdoor courts would come to a halt.
“The AO heat stress scale has reached 5 and play will be suspended on the outdoor courts,” he said. said on his Twitter account.
“This means play continues until an even number of matches are completed or until a tie-break is completed. No new matches will be called to court. Play at the outdoor training grounds is also suspended.
The roof was closed on all three Grand Slam show grounds – Rod Laver Arena, John Cain Arena and Margaret Court Arena – and play was allowed to continue.
Games on the outdoor courts were able to resume at 5:00 p.m. local time (1:00 a.m. ET).
Earlier today, the Australian Open announced that temperatures had reached the fourth stage of the ‘AO heat stress ladder’ which allowed singles players to take 10-minute breaks between sets – for the female players, between their second and third, and for the men, between their fourth and fifth.
“Players have the option of staying on the pitch or using showers or cooling rooms,” he said.
According to the ATP: “The AO heat stress scale takes into account air temperature, radiant heat (sun strength), humidity and wind speed, which affect the ability to a player to dissipate the heat of his body. These factors are measured in real time at five different locations in the Melbourne Park area. »
The decision to postpone the game was not greeted with joy by all.
Australian Jordan Thompson couldn’t hide his annoyance to learn that his match against JJ Wolf was called off after he broke the American in the second set after losing the first.
“When has this ever happened?!” a frustrated Thompson could be heard telling the referee.
“I came here when it was about 45 degrees (113 degrees F)! It won’t be for hours. »
