Fans welcome decision to close roof
By IANSWednesday, January 28, 2009
MELBOURNE - Tennis fans have welcomed the decision to close the centre-court roof on another scorching hot day at the Australian Open.
The mercury rose beyond 40 degrees as Melbourne experienced its hottest block of days in a century, officials closed the roof at Rod Laver Arena before any play had started.
‘It’s a wonderfully sensible decision,’ said Sydney fan Jennifer Aaron. ‘I am pleased they’ve made that decision early rather than later because yesterday it was unfair.’
Officials came under fire Wednesday for leaving the roof open in heatwave conditions until after the first set of Serena Williams’s quarter-final, in which she recovered to beat Svetlana Kuznetsova 5-7, 7-5, 6-1.
‘The conditions on the court are far hotter than what it is in the stands, but the players are there for a couple of hours but the fans are sitting there all day long in the sun. And you can’t put up an umbrella, so how do you protect yourself?
‘I could not even sit there Wednesday. I was absolutely frying, close to fainting,’ Aaron said.
Fans inside held placards saying ‘thanks for closing the roof’ while Melbourne Park’s Garden Square - traditionally packed with spectators - was like a ghost town.
