AUSTRALIAN Open officials have been criticised for turning the tournament into a “perverse” debacle that goes against the spirit of tennis as unbearable conditions descended on Melbourne.

Temperatures nudged the 40C mark on Thursday afternoon and it was even hotter on court. Because of radiated heat from the stands, the temperature reportedly reached 69C in the middle of Rod Laver Arena during Novak Djokovic’s four-set win over Gael Monfils.

The torturous conditions were having a serious effect on both players, but particularly Monfils. The Frenchman was pushed to breaking point as he tried to find shade at every opportunity and take longer breaks between points, telling the chair umpire he needed more than the allotted 25 seconds.

He received medical attention and at one stage left the court, such was his distress.

“I’m sick to the stomach,” Monfils said. “I’m tired and dizzy.

“I’m going to collapse.”

But he was forced to play on under the blazing sun as the roof remained open on Rod Laver Arena.

This. Is. Bizarre.



🇫🇷 @Gael_Monfils wants to leave the court after this set, but tournament officials don't seem to be letting him!#7Tennis #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/xALeevwWgS — #7TENNIS 🎾 (@7tennis) January 18, 2018

Dr Kathryn Bowen, a senior research fellow at the Australian National University (ANU) specialising in climate and health, was watching the match and said common sense should have prevailed, at least closing the roof to shield the players somewhat from the heat.

“When you can see the impacts (of the weather) on a person are as acute as they are that’s when you need to look at this more subjectively and respond in a humane fashion,” Dr Bowen told news.com.au.

“We don’t need to bring out our thermometers. It’s clear they’re both suffering.

“It becomes a perverse game if it doesn’t respond to their stress. They’re under significant heat stress now and the officials really need to be able to make these calls quickly and with full autonomy.”

A tennis fan, Dr Bowen said watching the match made her “uncomfortable” because of how much pain Monfils was in. She also said tennis lost its essence when it became less about skill and more about surviving extreme conditions.

“I’ve been watching with dread,” she said. “I don’t want to watch it.

“He looks ill, he looks sick, they’re both suffering.

“It loses the gist of the game and it loses the spirit of the game when all they’re doing is trying to survive in these sorts of conditions. It’s not enjoyable at all.

“It becomes less about athletic skill and more about extreme heat survival.

“Clearly they (tournament organisers) need to put player health first and it appears they are not.”

The extreme heat policy that would see play cancelled is brought into effect at the Referee’s discretion when the temperature reaches 40C away from the heat of a court surface and the wet bulb globe temperature (which takes into account humidity) exceeds 32.5C.

The Australian Open’s official Twitter account said the match was not halted because play “needed to be consistent with the outside courts so some don’t get an unfair advantage”.

The Extreme Heat Policy comes into effect once the ambient temperature exceeds 40C & the Wet Bulb index (WBGT) exceeds 32.5C. The health of our players is of paramount concern to us, and we are constantly monitoring conditions. Let's hope it cools down! — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2018

The health of our players is of paramount concern, but we need to be consistent with the outside courts so some don't get an unfair advantage. The referee will initiate the Extreme Heat Policy once the ambient temperature exceeds 40C & the Wet Bulb index (WBGT) exceeds 32.5C. — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2018

Djokovic played some horrendous tennis to start the first set as Monfils took it 6-4. But as his health deteriorated the Serbian worked his way back into the contest and emerged with a 4-6 6-3 6-1 6-3 victory.

“It was obvious we both suffered on the court today,” Djokovic told Channel Seven’s Jim Courier in his on-court interview after the match. “Really tough conditions. Brutal.”

Extraordinary stuff in Melbourne on court, where they are frying professional tennis players — Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) January 18, 2018

insane to make anyone play tennis in that kind of heat. Not sure how anyone can even sit in the sun watching#AusOpen — Susan Metcalfe (@susanamet) January 18, 2018

What's it going to take? Someone dying in that extreme heat at the #AusOpen ? Get 'em off the court, shut the roof, whatever. It's crazy/irresponsible/dangerous to keep them out there in that heat. — Greg Davis (@GregDavis_cmail) January 18, 2018

Speaking after the match, Djokovic said simple numbers can’t be the only way to decide if conditions are too dangerous, urging officials to be more subjective in their decision-making when faced with situations like the one seen today.

The Serb also said it was “right on the limit” when discussing whether it was too hot for players to continue playing.

“Look, I mean, if we talk about rules, there is a rule about index, combination between temperature and humidity. I’m not so sure about that, to be honest,” Djokovic said.

“I think, you know, there are certain days where you just have to, as a tournament supervisor, recognise that you might need to give players few extra hours until it (the temperature) comes down.

“I understand there is a factor of tickets. If you don’t play matches, people will be unhappy. You have to take into consideration different angles before making a big call like that.

“There is a limit, and that is a level of I guess tolerance between being fit and being, I think, in danger in terms of health.”

Monfils said it was “maybe a little too hot” and claimed the players “took risks” with their health by staying on the court. He also said the rule stipulating players can only take 25 seconds between points should have been relaxed to allow them more time to recover.

“For sure, we took risks and at one stage I said to the chair umpire that there’s no need for the 25 second rule (between points) because at the end, honestly, I was like, I don’t want to rally so much,” Monfils said.

“(Officials should) Definitely squeeze this time because that puts you under so much pressure. With the heat, then you rush and honestly I played two sets out of breath for nothing, just to please the officials so it’s a bit risky.

“I’m not bad normally but at one stage I dropped ... at that time the officials have to make a move — maybe wait a little bit or whatever, have fans or five minutes between sets. Whatever. Some small adjustment.”

On Wednesday Dr Liz Hanna of the Climate Change Institute at ANU and the Climate and Health Alliance said forcing players to put their bodies through hell came with “potentially lethal” consequences.

“They’re at very high risk of overheating and that is potentially lethal. The worst case scenario is that somebody would succumb to severe injury,” Dr Hanna told news.com.au.

“If we don’t (put player safety above all else), we run the risk of people forfeiting matches or indeed people suffering potentially long term health problems and of course the worst case scenario is someone could die.

“Your total body performance — which would include your cognitive performance as well as your physical performance — is impacted and that’s catastrophic for an elite athlete.”