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Vijay Amritraj has discussed British weather’s impact on Wimbledon, noting it’s not the main reason for top players’ early exits.
Holger Rune was one of the top seeds to exit in the first round (Picture credit: AP)
Indian sports commentator and 1981 Wimbledon quarterfinalist Vijay Amritraj has said that while the weather has been a tad bit warmer than usual this year at the Championships, it cannot be a big reason for innumerable seeded players getting eliminated in the initial rounds of the tournament.
The unexpected number of high-profile exits have opened up the men’s and women’s singles draws, with French Open champion Coco Gauff and men’s third seed Alexander Zverev among the highest-ranked players to exit.
A record total of eight top 10 seeded players dropped out in the first round, the most at any Grand Slam since the start of the Open Era 57 years ago.
“Let’s not forget that the biggest third competitor in any match has always been the British weather. Whether it is heat, rain, wind, light rain, very weird conditions, it all happens within the two weeks of Wimbledon,” Amritraj replied to a query from News18 Sports on Media Day with JioStar Wimbledon expert.
“The weather has been less tough on players since the roof has come on. Way back in the 70s, 80s, 90s when I was playing there, it constantly rained. It was cold. It was tough for people from Asia because we are used to the heat,” Amritraj added.
The former tennis star said that the first two days of Wimbledon were undoubtedly hot but players are definitely prepared for it and there is no ground to complain.
“The variety in weather has kind of calmed down a lot more. Yes, first two days at Wimbledon was hot, no question about it. But again, you know it’s coming. You know, you prepare for it,” Amritraj said.
“August, September in New York at the US Open on the hard court is absolutely brutal and players prepare for it. You know, as sometimes in Melbourne when the temperature reaches excess of 40 degrees. All of this is very much a part of the game,” Amritraj added.
Just one of the top five seeded women’s players, world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka, has progressed to the semifinals for only the second time in the Open Era.
Sabalenka fought back from the brink of a shock exit to reach the semis with a gutsy 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Germany’s Laura Siegemund on Tuesday.
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