The second week of the United States Open has begun feeling a lot like the first one.
After a few days of relative relief, the sweltering weather returned, with temperatures reaching 90 degrees (more than 32 Celsius), and humidity climbing above 70 percent at the U.S.T.A. Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
For the fourth time this tournament, the U.S.T.A. put its special heat rules in effect, allowing for 10-minute breaks after the second set of women’s and juniors matches and the third set of men’s matches. But those breaks could supply only so much relief.
On the Grandstand court, which offers less shade than the stadiums with retractable roofs, Lesia Tsurenko awaited divine intervention as she melted in the midafternoon heat in the first set of her fourth-round match against Marketa Vondrousova.
Tsurenko called for a doctor when she was up by 5-4 in the first set, and had her pulse and blood pressure checked. Her vitals were normal, she said, but the doctor could see the effects of heat in her face and eyes, and asked if she wanted to retire from the match.
She played on, but was woozy and at one point fell to her knees between points in the first-set tiebreaker.
“I was really dizzy,” she said in her on-court interview after the match. “I was just asking nature, the God, to move the shade faster. I was 2-love down in the second set, and I saw the shade, and I thought that I need another five minutes to keep fighting.”
The sun kept moving, the shade kept growing, and Tsurenko ultimately beat Vondrousova, 6-7 (3), 7-5, 6-2.
Asked how it felt to make her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, Tsurenko said, “I feel like I want an ice bath.”
At a news conference after that bath, Tsurenko revealed that Monday’s weather was not the most oppressive heat of her career — or even of this tournament — but said she had never before had such an adverse reaction to the conditions.
“I have to say that I’ve never felt so bad on court,” she said. “This was something new for me. I usually handle any kind of weather without any problem, but today was one of the toughest matches in my life.”
Vondrousova, who began cramping in the third set, saying she never expected Tsurenko to stop to playing.
“I don’t think she was struggling so much; she was just acting,” Vondrousova said with a smirk.
Tsurenko was flabbergasted by the accusation.
“No, it wasn’t, unfortunately,” Tsurenko said.
After his 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 victory over João Sousa, Novak Djokovic said he was “very happy to get this one done in straight sets.” But he declined to elaborate on the difficulty of the conditions.
“I prefer not talking about how difficult it is,” he said. “We are blessed to play the sport that we love, compete at it, and this is one of the biggest stages in tennis. I’m just trying to cherish the moments on court.”
Younger players competing on smaller stages struggled more.
The heat rules were put into effect because the wet bulb reading — which factors in air temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle and cloud cover — exceeded 30.1 degrees Celsius. The junior competition, for players 18 and under, takes things a step further. If the wet bulb reading exceeds 32.2, the tournament referee will suspend matches until conditions subside.
On Monday, the reading was just under 32.2. Even though two girls retired because of heat illness by midafternoon, the rest of the field played on.
“In general, the junior players are less prepared for the heat,” said Melissa Leber, an emergency physician at Mount Sinai Medical Center who is part of the U.S. Open medical team. “They’re not as knowledgeable as to what to do in terms of hydrating, having proper nutrition and wearing ice towels. Their coaches aren’t either.”
Leber said her team had seen players with headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue and even on-court vomiting.
Caty McNally, a 16-year-old American, vomited five times on the side of the court during the second set of her match against Loudmilla Bencheikh of France. McNally went on to win in three sets after both players declined the 10-minute break.
“I’ve never thrown up on court before,” said McNally, a finalist at the French Open junior tournament in June. “I guess I shouldn’t have eaten sushi before the match.”
After the match, McNally still looked wan despite lying down on ice-filled towels and taking a shower.
“I do a lot of things right to prepare, but I can always get stronger and more fit,” she said. “I train hard and I’m always hydrated. But I’ll never eat another California roll before I play again.”
The steamy weather is expected to continue Tuesday.
Source : NYtimes
