Even before the first set and first hour of his match elapsed, Tomas Machac had asked the umpire for the tournament doctor, trainer and pickle juice, the drink du jour for tackling cramps. Those preventive measures taken in the intense early stages of his third-round tussle with Lorenzo Musetti proved to be sensible, for the pair would spend a brutal four hours, 25 minutes on court.<\/p>\n
Four hours of that took place inside an open John Cain Arena, a furnace in suffocating heat. \u201cWe knew today was going to be really, really hot,\u201d Musetti said. \u201cI think I managed well to finish the match without cramping.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those early stages of Musetti\u2019s five-set win over Machac set the tone for an unusual day at the Australian Open as the heat arrived in force<\/a>, inserting itself into the outcome of matches and wreaking havoc on the schedule. A cursory glimpse around the grounds on Saturday underscored what was to come. Anticipation of the heat convinced the organisers to start play half an hour earlier than usual at 10.30am.<\/p>\n The first sight was St John Ambulance workers standing around. Stations offering free SPF50+ sunscreen were dotted across the grounds. From the start of play, long lines of spectators waited by the many water dispensers to refill their bottles.<\/p>\n The Australian Open<\/a> was well prepared for 39C, but the most pertinent question was which players would not be so ready. Jessica Pegula, who reported for the morning shift, beat the worst of the heat by reaching the fourth round with an easy 6-3, 6-2 win over Oksana Selekhmeteva.<\/p>\n She stressed the importance of using ice towels and hydration. \u201cThe fact we haven\u2019t been playing that much in the hot temperatures is what gets people. You have no tolerance to it and then it comes out of nowhere. We\u2019re used to it happening here, but it\u2019s hard to prepare for that.\u201d<\/p>\n Karen Khachanov wraps an ice towel around his neck during a break against Luciano Darderi. Photograph: Dar Yasin\/AP<\/p>\n That preparation begins overnight with increased hydration and electrolytes. Higher temperatures also mean faster playing conditions since the balls fly more quickly through warmer air. Players also have the option of making changes to their equipment.<\/p>\n Madison Keys notes the importance of stringing rackets at a higher tension to counteract the ball flying. \u201cI typically go up in my tension a little bit,\u201d she said. \u201cNot today. Only went up a pound, because I was playing earlier. Depending on what the weather changes would be like, there\u2019s been times where I\u2019ve gone up even three, four pounds.\u201d<\/p>\n