World No. 1 Andy Murray was tested and Stan Wawrinka lost his cool as stars struggled on a hot first day at the Australian Open on Monday.
Roger Federer and Angelique Kerber, the defending women’s champion, both dropped sets on a day which threatened a host of upsets.
In the event, fourth seed Simona Halep was the only major casualty as soaring afternoon temperatures gave way to a cool evening.
Australia’s often hot-headed Nick Kyrgios was uncharacteristically calm as he thumped Gastao Elias 6-1, 6-2, 6-2, despite a nosebleed which halted him mid-match.
But Wawrinka drew gasps as he smashed a volley straight at a static Martin Klizan deep in the fifth set, en route to a difficult 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 win.
The Swiss fourth seed quickly jumped over the net to offer his apologies as Klizan sunk to his haunches in pain.
Murray came through a two hours, 47 minutes test against Ukraine’s Illya Marchenko 7-5, 7-6(5), 6-2. He fared better than Kei Nishikori and Marin Cilic, who were both taken to five sets, while Federer was extended 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 by Austria’s Jurgen Melzer.
Kerber laboured past Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 in an unconvincing performance.
Halep exits
Halep is rated as one of the fastest players on the circuit but her usual zip was absent as she went down 6-3, 6-1 to American Shelby Rogers.
Venus Williams, the oldest player in the women’s draw at 36, also found herself with a fight on her hands but she came through 7-6(5), 7-5 against 22-year-old Kateryna Kozlova. — AFP
