TOKYO: Spanish tennis player Paula Badosa explained the sensations she had felt after being forced to pull out of her women's singles quarterfinal match due to heatstroke.
TV Images showed the Spaniard in clear distress due to the hot and humid conditions on court, and she was forced to withdraw after ceding the first set of her match 6-3 against Marketa Vondrousova from the Czech Republic.
According to Xinhua, Badosa had to be taken from court in a wheelchair due to her condition and also had to withdraw from the mixed doubles, prompting her teammate Gabine Muguruza, who also lost in quarters to say "I just don't see the need to make us play at 37 degrees centigrade."
Meanwhile, Badosa expressed her disappointment at the way her Olympic dream had ended.
"It has been a real shame to end my participation in this way," she said.
"The conditions were demanding, but we tried to adapt as well as possible from the first day. However, today my body just couldn't take it when I needed it to."
"I suffered heatstroke and I didn't feel in a condition to carry on competing," she explained, before adding that she was proud of her efforts.
"I am going, but I feel proud to have given absolutely everything for my country and for representing it in the best way possible, Now I am going to try and recover, work well and try to earn another opportunity to return to an event like this," concluded Badosa.
What happened to Badosa and the complaints of other players about conditions on court, appear to have had an effect with the International Tennis Federation announcing that matches on Thursday will not start until 3pm local time in order to try and protect the health of the players. -- BERNAMA