The official Australian Open ball (photo ANSA)
ROME – The qualifications of the Australian Open in progress in Melbourne have been temporarily interrupted, one of the four most important tennis tournaments in the world, following the fires that broke out in the oceanic nation. The unbreathable air and the smoke that prevented visibility forced the referees to interrupt the challenges with the players who found themselves dealing with "very poor" air quality.
According to what reported by the Gazzetta dello Sport, which writes how the matches are restarted, it seems impossible that the organizers decide to postpone the sporting event but, to protect the health of the athletes, the referees could decide to suspend the matches in case of smoking or adverse conditions.
During the first qualifying round of the game between Dalila Jakupovic and Swiss Stefanie Voegele, the Slovenian fell to her knees after a cough and said: “I don't have asthma and I never had breathing problems. Actually I like the heat. After the intervention of the physiotherapist I thought it was better, but the exchanges lengthened and I could no longer breathe and I fell to the ground ". The tennis player withdrew from the challenge and later complained to the organizers who sent the athletes off the pitch: “It is not healthy for us. I was surprised by the decision, I thought we wouldn't play today, but we don't have much choice. " Eugenie Bouchard requested medical assistance while Maria Sharapova and Laura Siegemund's 5-game tie on the second set was suspended. During the game between Kavacic and Clark one of the ball boys collapsed due to the unbreathable air.
On Twitter, the official profile of the Melbourne city government advised residents to "stay indoors, keep windows and doors closed and keep pets indoors." (Source: AGI).
Source: Blitz Quotidiano