The US Open was forced to suspend matches due to extreme heat on Friday. A banner appeared at the top of the tournament’s website stating that wheelchair and junior ties would be halted due to rising temperatures. And Novak Djokovic’s coach was seen struggling in the humidity during his charge’s practice session.
The weather has been causing chaos at Flushing Meadows, with the heat rule being put in effect for the last few days as temperatures soar. And men’s semi-final day was no exception, as Goran Ivanisevic became the latest high-profile name to suffer.
According to Serbian journalist Sasa Ozmo, the 2001 Wimbledon champion and coach of Djokovic started ‘feeling sick’ at the end of the world No 2’s warm-up and could be seen sitting down in the corner of the practice court with the rest of the team around him.
And Ivanisevic wasn’t the only person to be affected by the heat as the tournament announced a sudden stoppage in ongoing matches on the outside courts. A message appeared on the US Open website stating: “Play Update: Due to the rise in temperatures, the Wheelchair matches will need to suspend play at the completion of their current set. Junior matches will be suspended at completion of their next game.”
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On Wednesday – at the point the hottest day of the tournament so far – Daniil Medvedev was also seen struggling in the “brutal” conditions as he addressed one of the TV cameras during his match against Andrey Rublev. While grabbing his towel during the third set, the world No 3 said: “One player’s going to die, and then they’re going to see.”
The 27-year-old had already called the doctor to the court twice when he made the complaint – once during the second set and again early in the third. Both times, he asked to use an inhaler. In the break between the second and third set, Medvedev also stripped down to his shorts to stay cool.
Speaking after his straight-set victory over Rublev, the third seed said the conditions were the joint-toughest he had played in. “Yeah this and Tokyo Olympic Games. I mean, it was brutal,” Medvedev said after reaching his fourth US Open semi-final.
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“The only good thing I see in these conditions is that both [of us] suffer. Usually there’s not one that suffers so it’s tough for both of us.” And he suffered physical effects from the heat, struggling to see at one moment.
“I do think, as you say, there was some ups and downs but that is so normal. Honestly, at the end of the first set I kind of could not see the ball anymore. I kind of played with sensations, just try to go for it, try to run, try to catch the balls and he did the same,” the Russian added.
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