“Players shouldn’t die on the court.” Russian tennis players were put in inhumane conditions

A massive landing of top Russian tennis players landed in the capital of Japan this week. Severe weather anomaly forces our athletes to perform to the limit

And they do it great!

Abnormal heat

This year’s WTA-500 Tokyo tournament is rich in Russian athletes. It’s no joke, four of the best tennis players in the country came to compete for victory and substantial prize money. The company of Kasatkina, Kudermetova, Alexandrova and Samsonova was also formed by the highly experienced Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

It is no coincidence that the outdoor tournament in Japan is held in the fall – usually at this time the temperature is the most comfortable there. The average for September is 23 degrees. But now there is an abnormal heat in Tokyo. Even local residents have great difficulty enduring this weather – 30 degrees in the shade.

It’s hard to imagine what tennis players are going through on an outdoor court in Tokyo. All week the athletes had to play in the heat, which peaked on Wednesday and Thursday.

Despite the hellish conditions, the Russians are performing great in Tokyo. Of our five athletes, four won tickets to the quarterfinals. Unfortunately, Lyudmila Samsonova had to sheathe her racket, but in the 1/8 finals we were expected to lose in any case, since she played with Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Lyudmila Samsonova / Photo: © Minas Panagiotakis / Stringer / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

“I know you suffered too”

It was especially difficult for the participants in today’s matches. By mid-day the thermometer had exceeded 30 degrees. Conditions were complicated by the high humidity typical of Japan’s maritime climate. The court in Tokyo has a closable roof that can protect tennis players from the unbearable heat, but the organizers decided not to use it.

Daria Kasatkina barely put the finishing touches on the Greek Despina Papamikhail, who ranks 220th in the rankings. After a two-hour confrontation, the Russian woman was very exhausted and sharply criticized the actions of the organizers.

“I think it’s better to close the roof in this weather.” If you have such opportunities, it is better to use them. Players should not die on the court, said the Russian athlete.

At the same time, the tennis player delighted the stands by addressing the fans sitting on the sunny side.

– Thank you guys. I know you suffered too. Especially the sunny side of the stadium,” Daria added to applause.

Unfortunately, the quarterfinals will again not be without losses among the Russians. In a head-to-head confrontation, Alexandrova and Pavlyuchenkova will compete for a ticket to the next stage. Kudermetova will face Iga Swiatek, and Kasatkina will face Jessica Pegula.