Nine Aus Open stars pulled out in same round due to horrible heat

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Nine Australian Open players were forced to pull out in the same round, after temperatures soared up to 40 degrees in Melbourne in 2014. The tournament is of course no stranger to sweltering temperatures and player withdrawals with this year’s competition getting underway this week.

2014 however proved to be a record-breaking year after nine competitors were forced to withdraw across the evening’s opening set of matches. Throughout the tournament a number of players were seen feeling the effects of the heat.

Competitors were reported to have been vomiting and fainting, forcing the nine in question to either retire or forfeit their Grand Slam clashes. The figure was the highest recorded in a single round of the Australian Open, and equalled the Grand Slam record at the 2011 US Open and 2013 Wimbledon.

As well as suffering from side-effects of heat stroke, players also cited that injury is much more prone in soaring temperatures, with cramp a common occurrence. Canada’s Frank Dancevic was one of those in question, having fainted in his match with Benoit Paire.

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Afterwards, Dancevic said: “I think when you’re running around on court quite dizzy, you’re more prone to getting injured also. You can’t play the way you want to play, you can’t move the way you want to.  For sure, it can make players have injuries.”

As a result this year’s event has seemingly been affected by similar conditions, with umpires on Tuesday forced to withdraw players from the court due to the sizzling heat in Melbourne. Whilst the temperatures did not reach the heights of 2014, it was still tough for those competing.

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Reports suggested the court-side temperature reached 37 degrees, forcing play to be halted by those in charge. The stoppage was initially meant to be a 10-minute one, but games went on to be postponed for ‘several hours’.

Things then got even worse for the schedule later in the day, as heavy rain halted proceedings further. Matches played under the Rod Laver roof were allowed to continue. Brit Andy Murray was one of those who continued, as he secured a dramatic 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-7(7), 7-6(10-6) over Matteo Berrettini.

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