Picture Credit: Giuseppe CACACE / AFP
When athletes are on the field, they have to battle the opponent, but apart from that, there are several other challenges a player has to face while being out playing. Weather conditions throw a major challenge at the players especially when they play across the world. Many players have often complained about the extreme weather conditions. In a recent outing, Russia's Daniil Medvedev was seen complaining about the extreme heat and humidity during his match against Fabio Fognini at the Tokyo Olympics.
Medvedev was completely exhausted while he was up against Italy's Fabio Fognini. He was seen struggling to breathe and took multiple breaks in between the game. He was also heard saying to the chair umpire that he could finish the match but die. He then asked the umpire who would be responsible if he died.
Medvedev was uncomfortable from the first set and received two visits from the trainer and also took a medical timeout. “Even from the first set, I didn't feel good enough with my breathing. I felt like my diaphragm was blocked, I couldn't breathe properly,” said Medvedev. When the chair umpire asked him if he was ok during the second set, the Russian replied, “I can finish the match, but I can die. If I die, are you going to be responsible?” Medvedev further explained his condition and said that he was struggling to get his breathing together. “At the end of the second set, I just had darkness in my eyes. I was bending over, and I couldn't get my breathing together,” explained Daniil.
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Even after struggling with extreme heat, Medvedev was able to defeat Fabio Fognini 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 to set up a last-eight meeting with Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain.
Earlier, Medvedev had urged the organisers to delay start times after his opening match. “They should start the matches later, I said it from the first round, and I continue saying it,” said Daniil. Novak Djokovic had also asked for a change in the schedule not long ago after winning the first round. The tennis matches at the Tokyo Olympics are played in the afternoon at 3:00 PM.