Mixed reaction as referee hits the roof

WITH a politician's immaculate, sense of timing Warwick Smith, the federal minister for sport, yesterday praised the Australian Open tournament officials for protecting the players on centre court from the heat by closing the roof. Hardly had the words left his mouth when the wind in Melbourne veered away from the north and the temperatures plummeted nearly 15 degrees centigrade.

Indeed the safety of players hardly seemed an issue. A quick glance out to the city suburbs revealed vast palls of smoke where bush fires were breaking out in all directions, the worst for 14 years. And by the evening they had already claimed one life.

This is the only venue of the four Grand Slams where the main show court has a retractable roof. Its advantage in times of rain is obvious; the question of severe heat had not been addressed before.

The general policy is that the roof, which separates in the middle, thus allowing the gap to be adjusted, will not be closed because of hot weather during the first eight days. But once the quarter-finals, which began yesterday, have been reached, and because they are all played on centre court, the referee, Peter Bellenger, has the option to shut the roof.

This was duly done in the morning for the first two matches, although when the temperature dropped the roof was opened in the early evening for the day's second two quarter-finals.

Felix Mantilla, who lost his match in the morning to fellow Spaniard Carlos Moya, was far from happy to play effectively indoors, particularly as the wretched roof had been open earlier when he practised, whereas Moya, having won, said he did not care about the roof and would have happily played in snow.

Moya will next play Michael Chang who comprehensively beat Henman in the third round, and it will be fascinating to see if he fares any better.

In yesterday's last match Chang brushed aside the challenge of Chile's Marcelo Rios, arguably the most naturally gifted men's player since John McEnroe. Rios makes just about everything look ridiculously easy, but Chang ran down the angles relentlessly, and served with more power, to win 7-5, 6-1, 6-4.

What was particularly noteworthy about Moya's 7-5, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 win over Mantilla was his willingness to serve and volley. All the Spanish players, who are raised on clay, can trade top spin from the back of the court till the cows come in but Moya, only 20-years-old, appears to have the all-court game that could take him high into the top 10.

The seeded heart of the women's tournament was ripped out at the weekend with the departure of Steffi Graff, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Conchita Martinez, Anke Huber, et al. But Mary Pierce, the 1995 champion, remained.

Yesterday evening the icon of the tennis photographers reached only the second Grand Slam semifinal of her career with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, win over the Belgian Sabine Appelnans.

After a disappointing 1995 Pierce appears to have rediscovered herself, although this may be as far as she gets.

Her semi-final opponent is Amanda Coetzer, the shock conqueror of Graf, who yesterday routinely defeated the Californian Kimberly Po 6-4, 6-1. The South African lost to Huber here in the semi-finals last year, having won the first set.

"I got a little bit anxious last time," said Coetzer, who on this occasion will be doubly keen that the roof does not fall in on her final hopes. With any luck it will be open.

Veteran American Mary Joe Fernandez booked her first grand slam semi-final berth in four years when Dominique van Roost of Belgium retired hurt early this morning. Fernandez, a beaten finalist in Melbourne in 1990 and 1992 and seeded 14th this year, was leading 7-5, 4-0 when van Roost, visibly pained and close to, tears because of a back injury, forfeited the match after 66 minutes of play.