OLYMPICS chiefs introduced an emergency rule change because temperatures hit 34C in Paris.
After the horrendous weather rained on the opening ceremony parade, the heatwave has arrived in the French capital.
And as a result, organisers were forced into implementing a ‘extreme weather rule’ at the tennis, being staged at Roland Garros.
That means if a tennis match goes to a third set, the players are entitled to a ten-minute break after the second.
The break is optional so if neither star wants to stop, they are able to carry on.
An ITF statement said: “The latest Wet Bulb Globe Temperature reading has exceeded 30.1 Celsius, meaning that the modification of play rule is now in effect.
“Players in singles matches are entitled to a ten-minute break between the end of the second set and the beginning of the third set.
“The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature measures heat stress in direct sunlight which also takes into account wind speed, cloud cover and the angle of the sun.”
During the ten-minute break, players are allowed to leave the court, use the bathroom, shower, change their kit, eat, drink and get any strapping retaped.
However, they are not permitted to have a medical time-out, talk to their coach or use any electronic devices such as their phones.
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The umpire will call time after nine-and-a-half minutes, giving them 30 seconds to be ready to play.
However, if they are late, players will be subject to a time violation.
WHAT TO WATCH TODAY...
The Paris 2024 Olympics is now well underway with medals being ticked off and huge events still to come.
SunSport brings you all the action taking place in the French capital on a what is expected to be a huge third day.
TODAY’S BRIT MEDAL HOPES
Alex Yee was due to be in action in the men’s triathlon but due to pollution in the River Seine, the event has been postponed.
The Team GB 4x200m men’s freestyle swimming squad are packed with talent and could be in for gold (8.59pm).
And the women’s gymnastics team could also get a podium finish but it’s a strong field including Simone Biles’ USA (5.15pm).
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Kieran Reilly and Charlotte Worthington get underway in the freestyle BMX qualifiers (12.25pm).
Joe Clarke and Mallory Franklin are both in canoe slalom action, while the men’s hockey side face top-dogs the Netherlands.
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Clarisse Agbegnenou carried the flag for France at the opening ceremony.
She can back that up with a third Olympic judo gold in the -63kg final (4.49pm).
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It is the final day of the rugby sevens for this Olympics, ending with the final at the 70,000-seater Stade de France at 6.45pm.
And the street-style 3×3 basketball gets underway at the spectacular La Concorde venue at the bottom of the Champs-Elysees in the heart of the city.
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Great Britain’s Jack Draper, though, was fuming tennis players had to drink HOT water despite the baking heat.
Speaking after his 6-7 6-3 6-2 Olympics defeat to American No7 seed Taylor Fritz, Draper raged: “I told the referee it’s pretty poor that the players have to drink hot water when we are playing in those conditions.
“We did have ice towels but it’s important we have good fridges to keep our water cool. It’s so tough to recover when you are not replenishing properly.
“There was no escape from the heat even at the change of ends.
“I haven’t played in much hotter conditions than that. Your body starts to really fight against you, I definitely feel he (Fritz) dealt with it better than me.
“You can refill your bottles but at the change of ends but after playing tough points and running around, I ended up not sitting down because I was refilling my drink.
“At all other tournaments, you have fridges and coolers with ice. It’s not good enough.
“That court has no shelter even when the umbrellas are on you, your legs are in the sun. It felt like there was no escape from it.
