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Originally Posted by Nadal Fan

Forgot to ask why was the roof closed today? Players had to play in horrible conditions all tournament and I don't think rain was a factor, just don't know why today they decided to close it.

The retractable roofs of the main showcourts at Melbourne Park are usually kept open unless the tournament’s extreme heat policy is invoked when the temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) and a key humidity threshold has been surpassed.

Tournament organisers cited the ‘wet bulb globe temperature’, its humidity measure, as being above the threshold of 32.5 as their reason for the roof closure.

The temperature outside, however, was 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 F) when Cilic and Federer walked out on court.

The roof closure triggered a barrage of criticism from current and former players, with former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash saying it played right into 36-year-old Federer’s hands.

“It’s an outdoor tournament -- it’s like Wimbledon. Why is the roof closed?” the Australian said during commentary for BBC radio.

https://ca.reuters.com/article/canad...BN1FH08H-OCASP