Smog triggers the boycott of the China Open by Martin Klizan - UBITENNIS

Smog triggers the boycott of the China Open by Martin Klizan

By Adam Addicott
3 Min Read
Screenshot of the extend of Smog at this week’s China Open via WTA/ @josemorgado

World No.42 Martin Klizan has criticised the China Open organizers for the condition of the air quality following his straight sets loss to Fabio Fognini.

In recent years China has struggled to contain smog, which has plagued the country. A smog is a fog or haze which is intensified by smoke or other atmospheric pollutants. A recent study by nature.com estimates that 40% of the world’s air-pollution related deaths occur in China. This equates to over 1.3 million every year.

Playing in such conditions is problematic for many. Klizan has announced that he will never play in the China Open again following the difficulties he experienced whilst playing in the smog.

Regardless of the result in today’s match… It has been such an extreme smog in Beijing today that half an hour after the beginning of the match I started to cough uncontrollably after every point and I had to vomit after the match. There is such an extreme smog in this city, that due to my health, which should be a priority of every tournament organisator, unfortunately, I will have to leave out this tournament from my calendar for the rest of my tennis career”. He wrote on his Facebook account.

Klizan is not the first player to criticise the conditions in China. In 2013 Robert Lindstedt also launched a sharp attack on the conditions. Lindstedt won the China Open doubles title in 2011. The Swede complained of dizziness and troubled trying to recover during points in his practice sessions. Furthermore, he said that when he blows his nose at night, the tissue turns black from the smog he has inhaled.

So now I am in Beijing again. The city that cuts off days from your life every time you visit and breathe what they call air here. It’s a joke how smoggy it is here!” He wrote on his blog.

World No.1 Novak Djokovic also previously described the condition as ‘not ideal’. Nevertheless the smog doesn’t appear too troublesome for the Serbian, who has won the China Open five times since 2009.

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