Australian Open: Sharapova overcomes extreme heat and inspired opponent

Melbourne: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray rose victorious from one of the Australian Open's most chaotic days Thursday when a rare extreme heat shutdown and then a surprise rainstorm threw the tournament into disarray.

After severe temperatures reaching 43.4 Celsius (110.1 Fahrenheit) forced organisers to take the rare step of suspending play on the outside courts and closing the stadium roofs, the big trio were able to play in air-conditioned comfort.

So just hours after Maria Sharapova slogged through three sets in brutal heat on an open Rod Laver Arena, Spain's Nadal stepped up with the roof closed to blitz world number 570 Thanasi Kokkinakis in less than two hours.

Federer, playing with Hisense Arena closed to the elements, produced a classic display as he took apart Slovenia's Blaz Kavcic in front of enraptured Melbourne crowd to reach the third round. And Murray later took apart France's Vincent Millot, including a memorable fightback from 5-1 down in the final set, to show he remains a force to be reckoned with after back surgery.

They were three of the big winners after the four-hour heat shutdown,the first in five years, forced a hasty revision of the schedule with several matches extending past midnight. Just as players were returning to court, a freak rain and lightning storm erupted over Melbourne Park, further delaying the action.

Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki were also glad to reach round three on a topsy-turvy day, with more in prospect on Friday when temperatures are forecast to hit 44 Celsius. Following days of players fainting, vomiting and complaining bitterly about the heat, a suspension was finally announced at 2:00 pm.

Japan's Kei Nishikori was one of the early players but he dispatched Serbia's Dusan Lajovic 6-1, 6-1, 7-6 (7/3) to escape the heat in straight sets. Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga made tough going of his first set against Brazil's Thomaz Belluci, played in the blazing sun, but he steamed through the rest of the match after the Hisense Arena roof rolled shut.

World number three Sharapova was not so lucky after the suspension was announced during her third set against Italy's Karin Knapp, meaning she could not leave the court until the match was over. The set went to 10-8, lasting nearly two hours, before the Russian won 6-3, 4-6, 10-8.

Top seed Nadal admitted he was "very glad" to play under the stadium roof after his campaign accelerated with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 victory against willing but outgunned local hope Kokkinakis. A serve-volleying Federer showed distinct shades of his new coach, Stefan Edberg, as he overwhelmed Kavcic 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) win in one hour 47 minutes.

"It would be nice if I can take some good things away from that as well. Stefan was probably one of the greatest of all time in terms of serve and volley," said Federer, seeded six. "He moved so smoothly and he did it so well and he did it for his entire career at the highest of levels."

Later Murray, last up on Rod Laver Arena, stormed through the first two sets but encountered stiff resistance from Millot in the third. However, he reeled off 23 consecutive points to snatch victory from the stunned Frenchman.

"I've been in the final here three times and this is the tournament I love and I want to try and win," said the Wimbledon champion, who went under the knife in September.

Defending women's champion Azarenka, also playing under the centre court roof, crushed Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-1, 6-4 in 88 minutes. And 10th seed Caroline Wozniacki, newly engaged to golfer Rory McIlroy, said she had belief she could finally win her first major title after a 6-0, 1-6, 6-2 win over America's Christina McHale.

Polish fifth seed Agnimeszka Radwanska was another of the senior women's players to go through, beating Olga Govortsova 6-0, 7-5.

Extreme heat forces rare Aussie Open suspension

Extreme heat forces rare Aussie Open suspension

Melbourne: Extreme heat forced organisers to suspend play for several hours at the Australian Open Thursday following days of complaints about "inhumane" conditions which left some players fainting and vomiting.

With temperatures hitting 42 Celsius (107.6 Fahrenheit), officials finally called a halt just before 2:00 pm (0300 GMT), hauling players off courts and closing the roofs on the two main arenas.

he rare shutdown was the first in five years and follows near-record heat in Melbourne which buckled tramlines and prompted 1,000 bushfires in the surrounding state. The full schedule did not resume for four hours at 6:00 pm, at the start of a busy evening as players worked their way through a packed agenda of second-round singles matches plus doubles.

Some competitors have been furious about playing in the oven-like heat after several fell ill during their matches. Britain's Andy Murray warned organisers were risking a tragedy. Canada's Frank Dancevic said he hallucinated a vision of cartoon dog Snoopy before blacking out, and China's Peng Shuai vomited and cramped up during her loss to Kurumi Nara.

Ivan Dodig said he was afraid he was about to die after suffering severe cramps and retiring after four sets of his match against Damir Dzumhur. America's Varvara Lepchenko was the latest victim on Thursday when she had her pulse and blood-pressure checked and was rubbed down with ice by staff during a medical time-out.

"Some of the girls can't even talk after the match or practice," said Polish fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska.

Maria Sharapova was unlucky when the halt was announced during her third set against Karin Knapp, meaning she could not come off until it was over. The third set went to 10-8, lasting nearly two hours. Afterwards, the Russian star questioned the policy of making players finish their sets and said organisers should be more open about when and why play will be suspended.

"There is no way getting around the fact that the conditions were extremely difficult, and have been for the last few days," she said.

"I mean, I think the question I have is no one really knows what the limit is. Not the players; the trainers themselves, when you ask them when will the roof be closed?"

Attendances have dropped sharply since Monday's first-day record of 47,491. On Wednesday, the figure was about a third lower, at 32,911.
Melbourne Park's outdoor stadiums took on the surreal air of waiting rooms on Thursday as spectators fanned themselves and sucked ice lollies while waiting for the action to restart.

Only a small crowd braved the venue's unshaded garden area to watch the big-screen broadcast of home hope Thanasi Kokkinakis taking on world number one Rafael Nadal in the closed Rod Laver Arena.

"Doing physical exercise in this heat is just unbelievable," said France's Alize Cornet. "Even for the fans, sitting in the sun must be terrible."

Thursday's temperatures peaked at 43.4 Celsius in mid-afternoon and the heat was forecast to reach 44 Celsius on Friday before dropping sharply on Saturday.

The readings make it one of Melbourne's worst heatwaves, comparable to 2009 when severe bushfires in the surrounding state devoured entire towns, killing 173 people. The 2009 Australian Open, when the extreme heat policy was last enforced, was also the hottest on record with an average daily temperature of 34.7 Celsius.

Organisers did not give an immediate response when asked to comment on the players' criticisms about the heat policy. At 7:00 pm, the temperature remained at 40 Celsius.

Wozniacki hopeful of ending Slam drought

Wozniacki hopeful of ending Slam drought

Melbourne: Australian Open 10th seed Caroline Wozniacki is one those players that has been world number one yet never won a Grand Slam.

But the Dane, now happy her personal and professional life after getting engaged to golf star Rory McIlroy, believes she can go all the way at Melbourne Park this year.

Wozniacki on Thursday overcame a second set meltdown in intense heat to beat unseeded American Christina McHale 6-0, 1-6, 6-2 and make the third round, where she will play the dangerous Garbine Muguruza.

Despite the mid-match wobble, she is confident of a good run at Melbourne Park.

"I think you always believe you can win, but I still have quite a few matches to go. So I'm just thinking one match at a time," she said.

The Dane ended 2010 and 2011 as world number one but she has made just one Grand Slam final so far, at the 2009 US Open.

Her title credentials will be tested by Spain's Muguruza, who is on a hot run of form after winning her first WTA tournament at the Hobart International this month.

"She's definitely on a roll, she won Hobart," said Wozniacki. "She's playing well, she's playing aggressive. Not very typical Spanish, because she goes in and attacks the ball, plays very heavy.

"It's going to be a tough match but I'm excited about it. I'm excited to have won today and be through to the third round."