Will the Umpires and Referee's take the heat seriously this year?

[timnz]

I live in New Zealand. It is usually cooler than Australia, but even here it is unseasonably hot. In Australia they are talking about 50 degrees plus in the interior. In Sydney and Melbourne they are talking about 45 degrees C on court temperatures. That is unbelievably hot! In this part of the world the news on the front pages of newspapers is the fires in Australia and the huge risk to life. The word 'catastophic' is being used a lot.

I really hope the officials are going to take this seriously this year. We don't want players collapsing through heat exhaustion or worse. It just isn't suitable to play in furnace conditions. I hope the players complain if the officials aren't acting in their safety interests.

 

[orcygoodness]

I am surprised they didn't cancel or suspend play.
In Sydney it was 42 deg C and 10 deg hotter on court. With a hot wind.
That's not conditions to play tennis in.
Its dangerous, and players can't play hard in those conditions.

As a spectator its unbearable even in the shade.

They really need to consider shifting the Aust Open back a month.

 

[Mainad]

Does the centre court in Sydney not have a roof like the one in Brisbane? They kept the roof on all week in Brisbane because of the high temperatures outside. Sydney should have the same facility IMO!

 

[woodrow1029]

At the Aussie Open, it's not up to the umpires. When the heat rule goes into effect, the supervisor/referee staff alert the chair umpires, who then either stop the match, or give the authorized heat breaks.

 

[woodrow1029]

Here's the Australian Open Extreme Heat Policy. I believe in recent years, the heat threshold has been 37 celsius.

The Australian Open Extreme Heat Policy (EHP) will be applied at the Referee's discretion and may be altered at any time.
At the Referee's discretion, when the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature only (WBGT) is equal to or above the pre-determined threshold, the Referee may suspend the commencement of any further matches on outside courts.
Any matches currently in progress will continue until the end of the current set. At the completion of the set, play will be suspended.
Where play in any match commences outdoors (or with a roof open) at the Referee's Discretion, the match will continue until the completion of the set. At the end of the set, a decision may be made by the Referee to close the roof for the remainder of the match and the following matches, when the EHP is still in effect.
The roof will only be closed because of extreme heat if a decision has been made by the Referee to suspend the completion or commencement of matches on the outdoor courts.
Supplement for women's singles and junior singles only; to allow a 10 minute break between the second and third sets when a WBGT reading of 28 has been recorded prior to the calling of the match by Tournament Control. Readings are continually made throughout the day.
The 10 minute break will not apply between the second and third sets, if play had previously been suspended after the first set due to the EHP

 

[timnz]

Enforcing

Here's the Australian Open Extreme Heat Policy. I believe in recent years, the heat threshold has been 37 celsius.

The Australian Open Extreme Heat Policy (EHP) will be applied at the Referee's discretion and may be altered at any time.
At the Referee's discretion, when the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature only (WBGT) is equal to or above the pre-determined threshold, the Referee may suspend the commencement of any further matches on outside courts.
Any matches currently in progress will continue until the end of the current set. At the completion of the set, play will be suspended.
Where play in any match commences outdoors (or with a roof open) at the Referee's Discretion, the match will continue until the completion of the set. At the end of the set, a decision may be made by the Referee to close the roof for the remainder of the match and the following matches, when the EHP is still in effect.
The roof will only be closed because of extreme heat if a decision has been made by the Referee to suspend the completion or commencement of matches on the outdoor courts.
Supplement for women's singles and junior singles only; to allow a 10 minute break between the second and third sets when a WBGT reading of 28 has been recorded prior to the calling of the match by Tournament Control. Readings are continually made throughout the day.
The 10 minute break will not apply between the second and third sets, if play had previously been suspended after the first set due to the EHP

Thanks for posting this. The question is: Will the officials enforce this ruling? Using time violations as an example, tennis officials have a habit of not enforcing all the rules.

 

[Bobby Jr]

Also - this is Melbourne we're talking about. It could be 10 degrees there next week. I was there in the middle of a heat wave about 6 years ago over the festive season - grass/plants were brown as far as the eye could see. On Christmas day it plummeted to 12 degrees and snowed in the hills north of Melbourne. Two days later it was over 30 degrees again.

 

[Bobby Jr]

...and like clockwork the temperature in Melbourne has plummeted to the mid 20s.

So, next week it'll be back in the high 30s again. lol

 

[sandiegoman]

The heat is fun for tennis

 

[chandler bing]

Does the centre court in Sydney not have a roof like the one in Brisbane? They kept the roof on all week in Brisbane because of the high temperatures outside. Sydney should have the same facility IMO!

T

The roof in Brisbane is not removable. And only Pat Rafter Arena has the roof, the outside courts are uncovered.

It's Australia in the summer :|It's usually going to be hot.

 

[Jeffrey573639]

T

The roof in Brisbane is not removable. And only Pat Rafter Arena has the roof, the outside courts are uncovered.

It's Australia in the summer :|It's usually going to be hot.

Kind of up and down actually at least in Syndey. It was 45 degrees one day and 25 the next. Yeahhhhhhh

 

[Blocker]

...and like clockwork the temperature in Melbourne has plummeted to the mid 20s.

So, next week it'll be back in the high 30s again. lol

According to Herald Sun, there will be one day of extreme heat during the AO.