BRUTAL heat triggered a five-hour suspension of matches on outside courts at the Australian Open yesterday as Novak Djokovic powered to another landmark win but Naomi Osaka pulled out.
Players and spectators roasted on day seven at Melbourne Park, where temperatures soared to 38 degrees. The tournament’s Heat Stress Scale hit the highest level of five in the early afternoon, prompting the suspension on courts without roofs, and play did not resume until after 7pm.
On a dramatic day on and off court, reigning champions Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys moved into the last-16, as did 10-time winner Djokovic. Two-time champion Osaka was supposed to be in action in the third round, but pulled out hours before because of an abdominal injury. The Japanese star, who made a grand entrance this week in a jellyfish-inspired outfit, wrote on Instagram that “it breaks my heart”.
She was due to face Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis, who goes on to play Iga Swiatek in the last-16. Swiatek, the second seed from Poland, survived a roller coaster to beat 31st Russian seed Anna Kalinskaya 6-1, 1-6, 6-1.
AloJapan.com