Aussie tennis Open responds to heat

The Australian Open will have its own weather station and weatherman, as well as a new heat policy, to try to prevent players suffering in extreme conditions at Melbourne Park next month.


The revised policy comes after Russian Maria Sharapova labelled as "inhuman" conditions in which she was forced to play during this year's Open, while other top players warned there could be serious medical ramifications.

The most significant policy change is that players in the upcoming Open will no longer have to complete matches that are already underway once the extreme heat rule is invoked, instead only having to complete the current set.

Previously, players who had just started a match had to complete it, even if it meant sweltering through a full five sets in extreme conditions.

In another change, the decision to suspend play will be completely at the discretion of the tournament referee, whereas previously Open organisers used a specific cut-off point, based on calculations of a set of weather readings.

Tournament director Craig Tiley said several top players from Australia and overseas had been consulted about the changes and the feedback was very positive.

"Previously if we invoked the heat policy the matches continued until the conclusion of a match," Tiley said.

"Some players were out here in very extreme conditions for another three to four hours.

"Now we're saying at the end of a set the matches will come in, so we're not going to create that situation where players have to battle it out with a lack of performance because of the heat for a long time."

As in the past, play will be able to continue on the two courts with retractable roofs, Rod Laver Arena and Vodafone Arena.

Tiley said the newly-installed Plexicushion courts, which replaced the old Rebound Ace surface, would also help player comfort, as they had a thinner layer of rubberised cushioning, which meant they would retain less heat, which has been a major factor in the past.

He said the on-site weather station and meteorologist would also be a significant aid, as organisers would receive precise forecasts instantly.

Encouragingly, the designated on-site weatherman, Bob Leighton, said the long-range outlook for the Open dates, January 14-27, indicated temperatures for most days would be in the mid-20s, with less likelihood of 40-degree days than this year.

Source: stuff.co.nz