Ian Chadband
Paris: Alex de Minaurโs charmed life at Roland-Garros continues after Jakub Mensik, his next opponent, collapsed on court in the extreme heat and ended up being taken to the medical room in a wheelchair.
While de Minaur enjoyed a walkover on Wednesday after his second-round opponent Alexander Blockx was injured in practice, his potential third-round adversaries had to slog it out in what Mensik described as โinsane conditionsโ for four hours 41 minutes.
The Czech 26th seed ended up victorious but stricken on his back, unable to pick himself off the clay on Court No.6 for several minutes amid alarming scenes after battling to a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (13-11) victory over Argentine Mariano Navone.
Somehow, Mensik, cramping up before serving the final point, managed to hit the winning forehand before dropping to the clay.
Medical staff put ice towels around his neck and chest and an ice pack on his forehead before helping him to his feet, but heโd taken just a few steps towards the locker room when he was placed in a wheelchair.
This was less than 48 hours before heโs due to play de Minaur, one of the fittest, fastest players on the circuit who delights in making it a physical trial.
Mensik was fuming about the ordeal in the heat.
โItโs insane to play in this weather, and especially in front of the sun,โ he said. โTo be there for more than four-and-a-half hours, thatโs just insane.
โEven with the breaks, you donโt have that much time. You have just one minute, which when you sit itโs already just 30 seconds. There is not that much time to cool yourself down.โ
But Mensik, the last man to beat world No.1 Jannik Sinner in February, insisted later he would be ready for the third-round duel on Friday.
โEven if it looked horrible at the end, after 30 minutes in the locker rooms, when I was out of the sun, I started to feel much better. Iโm here, feeling pretty well,โ he said, admitting his โbody just turned offโ.
Mensik said heโd had an ice bath and done some recovery work in the gym after the match.
โI would say Iโm feeling pretty well โ itโs just now about to put back the strength, a lot of fluids, and Iโll be OK,โ he said.
โAlex has something similar game style as Navone today, so, of course, it will be very, very difficult to put him under the pressure, but Iโm doing pretty well here, feeling really in good form, so I will do my best to keep fighting and to get the W.โ
All of which potentially spells good news for de Minaur, whoโs only needed three sets so far against British qualifier Toby Samuel and is just a win away from a place in the last 16.
Serbian great Novak Djokovic placed ice packs around his neck and on top of his head during changeovers to keep cool amid the Paris heat wave.
The 39-year-old Djokovic was pushed by 74th-ranked French player Valentin Royer โ who is 15 years younger than him โ for more than 3ยฝ hours before he reached the third round with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (7-9), 6-3 victory.
For the fourth straight day of this yearโs tournament, the temperature rose above 32 degrees.
โWhen you play a three-and-a-half hour match on clay, itโs long and very exhausting,โ Djokovic said. โThese days have been really, really very challenging for a lot of players.โ
Djokovic suggested that organisers should consider moving more matches later in the day and night on days with extreme heat.
โWith grand slams it shouldnโt be an issue because we have so many courts,โ Djokovic said. โIf you have certain days that you have extreme heat and conditions, then maybe thatโs something to consider.โ
The 15-seeded Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk beat Katie Volynets 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-3 to extend her winning streak to 13 matches, but also felt the brutality of the conditions in her near three-hour match.
โIโm most pleased that I didnโt cramp to death or didnโt pass out during this match,โ Kostyuk said. โIt was not easy for everyone.โ
AAP, AP
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