SWELTERING temperatures have resulted in last-minute changes being made to the Australian Open schedule for Saturday.
Preventative measures have been taken by chiefs after it was forecast to reach 38C in Melbourne in the middle of the day.
Showdowns in the Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena have been pushed forward to 10.30am.
And play on all the other courts will begin at 10am in an attempt to make sure tennis’ biggest stars are not struggling in the extreme heat.
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said: “We expect pleasant conditions tomorrow morning, in the mid-20s, and will start play earlier and take advantage of the more temperate conditions.”
Moving the schedule forward by an hour on the biggest courts will also allow the Margaret Court Arena, which has a roof, to host an extra match.
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The Kia Arena, which is open to the elements, is set to hold three clashes instead of the usual four.
A heat rule was only introduced by the ATP earlier this year after there was pressure for changes to be made following the Shanghai Masters.
Novak Djokovic vomited after struggling in the extreme temperatures and Holger Rune also hit out.
The Dane furiously asked the umpire: “Do you want a player to die on court?”
The ATP uses the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) to measure heat stress levels.
It assesses humidity, temperature, cloud cover, sun angle and wind speed to make a verdict.
And the new rule means that players can request a 10-minute break at the end of the second set if the WBGT hits 30.1C or higher during a game.
Aryna Sabalenka has called for those in action on Saturday to take advantage.
The world No1 said: “I wouldn’t like to play the match on Saturday because I think it’s too much on our bodies.
“But I’m glad that at least we have a heat rule. There is a lot of ice. It’s all on players to take that heat rule. At least in the stadiums, it’s going to be covered, I believe.
“But the weather being crazy, it’s a lot of adjustment on the strings, your approach to the match. It depends on the weather because it’s going like a rollercoaster. We’ll see who adjusted better in the next days.”
Defending champion Jannik Sinner and record ten-time winner Djokovic are among those set to be in action at the Australian Open on Saturday.
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