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Medvedev: “I can finish the match, but I can also die”

Paula Badosa Gibert collapsed on the court, Daniil Medvedev was “black” in front of her eyes. The weather is giving the tennis professionals a lot of trouble in Tokyo, but the organizers have remained tough for a long time and have not wanted to accommodate the players – until now.

Medical timeout: Daniil Medvedev is receiving treatment.

AFP via Getty Images

Over 30 degrees Celsius and a humidity of almost 70 percent – the conditions in Tokyo are everything else pleasant, especially for the tennis professionals who play hard court and should feel like being in an oven on the court.

Medvedev Sarcasm

On Wednesday, this was especially felt by the Spaniard Paula Badosa Gibert, who suffered heat stroke in her match against Marketa Vondrousova (Czech Republic), gave up and had to be taken from the court in a wheelchair. Daniil Medvedev also had a lot of trouble with the men in his match against the Italian Fabio Fognini. The Russian looked physically battered, took two “medical timeouts” and looked generally exhausted.

At some point, the world number two was asked by the referee Carlos Ramos if he was okay. The 25-year-old replied sarkatically: “I can finish the match, but I can also die. If I die, will you take responsibility?” Medvedev finally dragged himself to the finish, defeated Fognini 6: 2, 3: 6, 6: 2 and then revealed that he was “black in mind”.

ITF gives in

Conditions as tough as on Wednesday were by no means a novelty in Tokyo. There had also been complaints from players in the previous rounds, especially with regard to the early appointments. Among other things, Novak Djokovic had vehemently advocated moving the games to the afternoon.

The organizers remained tough, but now gave in. While the courts in the Ariake Tennis Park were previously open at 11 a.m. local time (4 a.m. CEST), the matches will now start on Thursday at 3 p.m. (8 a.m. CEST). The ITF wants to act “in the interests of the health and well-being” of the players.

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