AO Too Hot to Handle
Complaining about the weather is quite normal in the everyday swing of things. We all do it at some point. Some of us even use flippant conversations about the weather to stave off uncomfortable social situations.
But playing a game of competitive tennis in temperatures pushing the mercury into a sweltering-hot 42 degrees celsius? Now that’s what we call an uncomfortable situation involving the weather. Just ask former world no. 1 Novak Djokovic. Djokovic reportedly requested a change in time slot, from evening to afternoon, for his match against Gael Monfils on Thursday, but soon regretted the change of plan.
Despite the blistering heat, Djokovic still managed to beat his opponent 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3, but said afterwards that the heat had risen to levels that were just about all he could take. He expressed grave concerns about health-concerns associated with physical excursions in temperatures of this nature, describing the heat conditions as having been brutal.
His French opponent was seen to be swaying across the court between struggling to return balls. Monfils also reportedly told the chair official to forget about imposing the new rule that stipulated that players now had to serve within the time frame of 25 seconds between points. After the match, Monfils told the press that he was convinced that he had contracted heat stroke on the court.
Holding Back On Coverage
All courts are equipped with roofs that can be closed when the conditions become too extreme and start to affect the well-being of players and spectators. Rafael Nadal posed the real million-dollar question when he enquired as to why the roofs were not being utilised to serve the purpose that they had been constructed to do, when the need arose.
And the need certainly arose on more than one occasion on Thursday.
Djokovic was so miffed at having had to play in the extreme weather conditions that he urged officials to rely on common sense instead of complicated calculations dictating when it was time to run for cover.
Ever practical, Djokovic said that he realised that there was the issue of tickets having been sold, but that sometimes it was necessary to make a call about postponing a match for a few hours in order to protect the players and the spectators who were paying for those tickets to watch the players play tennis.
In the words of Monfils, good luck to those who will be continuing to play in even hotter conditions as the tournament progresses.
| # | Site | Bonus | Bet | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Ladbrokes |  | 5/5 | 100% Match up to $250 NZD | Bet now Review |
| 2 |  | Betway | | 4.9/5 | Up to $60 NZD | Bet now Review |
| 3 |  | Palmerbet | | 4.8/5 | 100% Match | Bet now |
| 4 |  | Picklebet | | 4.7/5 | Login to see promotions | Bet now |
More About Trent Wilson
Trent Wilson is OnlineBetting.nz’s resident sports news expert. He draws on his extensive sporting knowledge, his qualification in sports management and his passion for betting to provide the latest, most up to date information on sporting events in New Zealand and across the globe. Trent is a veritable treasure trove of sports information and has been betting online for several years. He prides himself in keeping his readers informed, and in always offering an unbiased standpoint that reflects exactly what’s going on in the sports world.
View Posts - Visit WebsiteYou May Also Like:
Davis Cup A Disgrace Says Tennis Legend
Aussie tennis legend Todd Woodbridge has referred to the Davis Cup as a “disgrace”. Woodbridge’s comments came following drama surrounding a controversial decision over which country will be replacing Russia in this year’s finals. Following the recent expulsion of Russia after the country’s invasion of Ukraine, the decision was made ….
Andy Murray Misses Out On Big 700 In Dubai
With the Dubai Championships in full swing in the UAE, former champion Andy Murray will have to hold out a little longer for his 700th career win. Murray recently suffered a straight-sets defeat at the hands of Italy’s Jannik Sinner, while world No. 1 Novak Djokovic reached the quarter finals ….
Djokovic Back In Action In Dubai
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is officially back in action following his controversy-fuelled deportation from Australia in January. Djokovic on Monday reached the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships when he beat wildcard entry Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-3. The victory marked the Serb’s first match of 2022. ….
Djokovic “Welcome” To Play In Italian Open
Tennis world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who has declared himself willing to miss out on future Grand Slams because of his vaccination status, could be permitted to compete in this year’s Italian Open in Rome. Italy’s cabinet secretary for sports, Valentina Vezzali, announced this week that the Serbian will be ….
Djokovic Says He’ll Remain Unvaccinated
Tennis world No. 1 Novak Djokovic has now declared himself willing to forfeit the chance to be crowned the sport’s GOAT – as well as winning any further Grand Slam titles. Speaking to a prominent English news broadcaster this week, the Serb said while he did not wish to be ….