The Australian Open's heat protocols were triggered on Saturday as temperatures in Melbourne soared towards 40°C, causing play on outside courts to be suspended for much of the afternoon. The heat stress scale reached 5.0 at around 2:30pm, prompting officials to halt matches and close the roofs on the three main arenas.
Defending champion Jannik Sinner struggled with cramps during his third-round match against American world No 85 Eliot Spizzirri, but recovered to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 after a 10-minute break. Sinner, who suffered heat exhaustion at last year's tournament, used ice packs and a personal air conditioner during changeovers.
Madison Keys, the defending women's singles champion, defeated Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-3 in 75 minutes. The American said she was ready for the heat, being from Florida, and gave herself a 'pat on the back' for a clean match.
Officials had brought forward the start of play by 30 minutes in anticipation of the heat. The Bureau of Meteorology forecast a top of 40°C at 5pm, with temperatures still at 38°C as late as 8pm. Crowds were expected to be down on the traditionally busy middle Saturday due to the extreme conditions.
