Tennis stars sweat out matches in Sydney International 'sauna'
Players find trying to beat the heat the biggest challenge as temperatures surpass 40 deg C
World No 4 Agnieszka Radwanska said it was "too hot to play tennis" and China's Li Na said it was like a sauna as the Sydney International was hit by a searing heatwave yesterday.
Poland's Radwanska, who reached last year's Wimbledon final, battled fearsome temperatures topping 40 degrees Celsius to brush past Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-4, 6-3.
While Radwanska reached the last eight, the major talking point was not the standard of play but the blistering heat ahead of next week's first grand slam event of the year at the Australian Open in Melbourne.
Li, who beat Japanese qualifier Ayumi Morita 6-1, 6-0, said she was reaching for the ice towels at each changeover.
"I was feeling like playing in a sauna. At the first changeover I didn't use an ice towel. I was feeling the heat was coming and I was like: 'What's going on'?
"At the next changeover I was like: 'OK, I need an ice towel every changeover, otherwise I don't know how to play on the court.'
"It's too hot, but I'm still in the tournament, so it's good news."
