Thanks a lot to Peg for sharing her experience from Cincinnati!

More reports from Cincinnati:
On the way to the Western & Southern Open
The Western & Southern Open main draw party
Friday evening at Lindner Family Tennis Center

It’s been in at least the high 80s (Fahrenheit) all weekend here in Mason. That’s cooler than where I’m from (Nashville), but it’s still plenty hot. Players such as Lleyton Hewitt were reaching for ice towels even around 6 p.m.:

Jurgen Melzer iced down his legs as well as head and neck (he was looking stiff toward the end of the match), and applied a bare bag directly to his head at one point:

 

Earlier in the day, the umbrellas were out in evidence on Grandstand, especially around noon, during Tomic vs. Ebden. They were opened for the players during changeovers:

In the audience, I counted at least fifteen. Some were beat-up and basic, some were flowery, some were fashionable …

The crowd tended to cluster under overhangs and other shaded areas:

It was also a fine day for hat-admiring, both of serviceable and stylish chapeaux:

Sometimes, though, a mere cap needed help:

It was bright enough that today’s human statue wore shades:

The Grandstand umpires sit under a canopy. (Richard Haigh chaired the Ebden-Tomic match.)

I also overheard folks complaining about sunburn and reapplying sunblock. To help with the latter, the Andy Caress Melanoma Foundation has representatives handing out packets of SPF 30 sunscreen. These wonderful people were on duty near Court 16 (where loads of fans were waiting for the Djokovic-Wawrinka 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. practice to get underway):