Off Track ..... Players could get heat breaks

Players in the Olympic tennis events could be allowed heat breaks if the stifling weather continues, International Tennis Federation (ITF) president Francesco Ricci Bitti said on Saturday.

Temperatures into the high 90s Fahrenheit (above 35 Celsius) combined with suffocating humidity have made practice difficult this week with several players saying the conditions are as uncomfortable as they have ever known.

"It's within the power of our officiating team to take measures in case the situation is reaching an unacceptable level," Ricci Bitti told reporters on the eve of the tournament.