Wednesday, August 08, 2001
Heat is tournament's hot topic
Players, spectators take precautions to avoid problems
By Lyndsay Sutton
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Patrick Rafter tries to beat the heat.
(AP photo)
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MASON — It forced Pete Sampras to wear a hat. It forced Patrick Rafter to put zinc oxide on his face.
“The tennis world, except in the indoor season, seems to follow the heat,” said ATP Tour trainer Doug Spreen, who's familiar with the heat here — he's a Mariemont High School graduate and used to serve as assistant trainer for the Reds.
“Because of the heat exhaustion and the heatstroke, that's definitely on our minds. That's probably the No. 1 concern here, above and beyond anything else when we think about what takes precedence, that's on our mind.
“What happened with Korey Stringer (the NFL player who died from heatstroke last week) ... it definitely puts it in your mind even a little bit more.”
Of the nine Tennis Masters Series events, Cincinnati has earned a reputation as one of the hottest, Spreen said.
When asked what he thought of Cincinnati, Russian Marat Safin said, “Too hot. After five minutes, you're just completely wet. It's difficult to play here.”
It almost became too difficult for Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic to finish his match Monday. Ivanisevic called for a trainer, complaining of dizziness and an upset stomach.
“I started to feel bad in the middle of the second set,” Ivanisevic said. “But I thought it's just going to pass or something. But I couldn't walk anymore. And then I called the trainer.”
ATP Tour trainer Doug Spreen assists Thomas Johansson.
(AP photo)
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Spreen's treatment included cold towels and smelling salts. After the match, Ivanisevic was diagnosed with heat exhaustion.
Nurse Katy Loos counted no less than seven heat-related visits to the first-aid station Monday and Tuesday. One of the seven, a man, passed out after seeking treatment.
“It's not so much that they're dehydrated, they try to stay hydrated, but they still overheat,” Loos said. "Their body temperature just rises and when it gets to a certain point, that's when they get into trouble.”
Stephanie Bales, 15, laid on a stretcher Tuesday morning with a cool, damp rag pressed to her forehead. The surface thermometer on her neck read 102 degrees.
Bales' temperature dropped to 100 degrees during the visit and the Connersville, Ind., resident said she was feeling better.
Pete Sampras changes shirts.
(Dick Swaim photo)
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Public address announcements throughout the day urged spectators to wear hats, drink plenty of water and seek shade.
Wendy Flynn, the manager of Booth 3, said she sold eight cases (24 bottles to a case) in six hours Monday night. She ordered six cases for Tuesday morning and said she would order between six and 10 cases for the evening.
Back on the court, Sampras likened his playing conditions Tuesday to being in a sauna.
“I think that's probably the hottest conditions so far this year,” he said. “It was toasty.... I never wear a hat and I'm forced to wear a hat here.”
Spreen's advice: Eat right and drink plenty of fluids. For players, he said it's “extremely important” to eat a small meal within an hour of finishing a match.
Loos recommended that spectators take frequent breaks in the shade, use damp paper towels on their skin and wear loose clothing.
For players, it is a matter of being in shape and paying attention to the warning signs.
“... Any time you start feeling nauseous, any time you start feeling dizzy, those are times where things aren't going in the right direction,” Sampras said.
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Heat is tournament's hot topic
