Hot Topic

[Moxie]

Not enough thought is being given to not just players getting through the day, but what their recovery is like. Navratilova just mentioned seeing a player 4 hours after her match. She was still beet-red, and only just beginning to be able to look at solid food. How about getting through the NEXT hot day? And like Isner and Mahut after that epic match, could the repercussions for some be longer than into the next match?

 

[tented]

Not enough thought is being given to not just players getting through the day, but what their recovery is like. Navratilova just mentioned seeing a player 4 hours after her match. She was still beet-red, and only just beginning to be able to look at solid food.

According to Dr. Tim Wood, "The beet-red complexion had nothing to do with the heat. She had blood on her face after hunting kangaroos for dinner. It was perfectly natural."

 

[Moxie]

Not enough thought is being given to not just players getting through the day, but what their recovery is like. Navratilova just mentioned seeing a player 4 hours after her match. She was still beet-red, and only just beginning to be able to look at solid food.

According to Dr. Tim Wood, "The beet-red complexion had nothing to do with the heat. She had blood on her face after hunting kangaroos for dinner. It was perfectly natural."

And when her kidneys fail, it will be because her genetic admixture didn't evolve her to eat kangaroos, having nothing whatsoever to do with the deprivation of fluids, or the stress on her internal organs.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Tennis medic defends heat policy

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/25755065

The chief medical officer at the Australian Open has defended criticism of the tournament's "extreme heat policy" after Britain's Jamie Murray was treated for heatstroke.

Play was suspended on uncovered courts for more than four hours on Thursday as temperatures breached 40C for a third consecutive day, but Dr Tim Wood insisted the health of players was not being compromised.

"We evolved on the high plains of Africa chasing antelope for eight hours under these conditions," he said.

"There will be some players who complain and no-one is saying it is terribly comfortable to play out there, but, from a medical perspective, we know that man is well adapted to exercising in the heat. Whether it is humane or not is a whole other issue."

Really uncharacteristic for the Australian Open to embarrass themselves like that. It used to be my favorite slam (still is), but this whole thing is turning into a giant farce.

 

[brokenshoelace]

The most arbitrary part of the extreme heat policy is that players are supposed to finish the set before the roof is closed. Uh, why? If players can stop mid-set to wait for the fireworks to end on Australia day, why not do it for the roof to close? And what happens if it's the last set of the match, where there are no time-breaks, and the players keep playing on and on?

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

the temp is due to plummet from low 40s to around 25c 77f at around 6pm localtime as the heatwave ends.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

the change is happening....4:40pm 43.2c, 6:10pm 30.3c.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

The most arbitrary part of the extreme heat policy is that players are supposed to finish the set before the roof is closed. Uh, why? If players can stop mid-set to wait for the fireworks to end on Australia day, why not do it for the roof to close? And what happens if it's the last set of the match, where there are no time-breaks, and the players keep playing on and on?

Actually Screampova and Knapp got into that situation couple days ago. They have already
started 3rd set (of course, with no tie-breaks) when the EHP went into effect. The TD closed the roof only after the match got over at 10-8. Even if were to go to 70-68 they had to
continue to play with open roof as per the EHP (except that it would have been so long in that case
that they would have come next day).

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Moxie, this is what I was talking about sometime ago in this thread.

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Players are also permitted longer breaks, consultations with trainers and are cautioned against over-drinking.

Yes, over-drinking.

"Look," said Dr. Tim Wood, the tournament's chief medical officer, "we have never had anybody die from dehydration on a tennis court. We have had players almost die from drinking too much."

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[GameSetAndMath]

Does anyone know what is the forecast for the second week? Is the heat wave
gone for good (at least till the end of AO) or is it coming back?

 

[Moxie]

Moxie, this is what I was talking about sometime ago in this thread.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Players are also permitted longer breaks, consultations with trainers and are cautioned against over-drinking.

Yes, over-drinking.

"Look," said Dr. Tim Wood, the tournament's chief medical officer, "we have never had anybody die from dehydration on a tennis court. We have had players almost die from drinking too much."

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Is the the same chief medical officer who was talking about humans being evolved to hunt for hours in the savannah? I wouldn't take his advice, even for free. Who 'almost' died at the AO? Whether from dehydration or over-hydration, that would be good to know.

As far as I can see, the forecast is supposed to the nice for the rest of the tournament.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Yes, it is the same doc.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

First-round retirements match record

MELBOURNE, Australia -- The nine first-round retirements at the Australian Open -- eight men and one woman -- equaled a record for the most retirements or walkovers in a single round at any Grand Slam in the Open era.

As the heat wave continued at Melbourne Park on Wednesday, 32nd-seeded Ivan Dodig became the 10th player to withdraw from the tournament. He retired due to cramping while trailing Bosnian qualifier Damir Dzumhur 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 4-1.

Tournament officials said the nine retirements in the first round matched the record set in the first round at the 2011 US Open and the second round at Wimbledon in 2013. The 2011 US Open holds the record for most overall retirements with 17.

The first-round retirements at Melbourne Park included Bernard Tomic's left groin injury, which forced him to quit his match with top-seeded Rafael Nadal after losing the first set Tuesday.

Among others, Tommy Haas and Alex Bogomolov Jr. had shoulder injuries, and John Isner retired with a right ankle injury.

Copyright 2014 by The Associated Press