Heat triggers Melbourne suspensions

OSAKA, STAN OUT: Taylor Fritz beat Swiss veteran Stanislas Wawrinka, while Naomi Osaka pulled out of the tournament ahead of her match against Maddison Inglis

• AFP, MELBOURNE

Extreme heat yesterday triggered the suspension of matches on outside courts at the Australian Open and briefly held up champion Jannik Sinner of Italy before he battled into the last 16.

Players and spectators roasted on day seven at Melbourne Park, where temperatures were forecast to soar to 40°C.

The tournament has a Heat Stress Scale of one to five, with five the highest.

It hit five in the early afternoon, when it was about 36°C, prompting the suspension.

The third-round meeting between Sinner and American Eliot Spizzirri at Rod Laver Arena stopped for about 10 minutes, allowing time for the roof to close.

It helped save Sinner, who was experience cramp and wilting in the heat.

With the roof shut he pulled through 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 over a grueling 3 hours, 45 minutes.

“I struggled physically a bit today as you saw. I got lucky with the heat rule, they closed the roof,” the second-seeded player said.

His reward is a clash next with another Italian, 22nd-seeded Luciano Darderi, who defeated Russia’s Karen Khachanov 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

On a historic day for Italy, fifth seed Lorenzo Musetti saw off Tomas Machac 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, making it the first time that three Italian men have reached the last 16 of an Australian Open.

Musetti goes up against ninth-seeded American Taylor Fritz, who eliminated Swiss veteran Stanislas Wawrinka 7-6 (7/5), 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

In other men’s singles matches, Ben Shelton of the US defeated Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), while Serbia’s Novak Djokovic beat Dutchman Boticvande Zandschulp 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).

Matches on outside courts remained suspended in the late afternoon, but the three courts with roofs resumed after a short delay to close them.

Women’s singles defending champion Madison Keys reveled in the scorching temperatures to set up a last-16 showdown with podcast cohost Jessica Pegula.

Matches started an hour earlier than usual because of the heat and Keys had no intention of hanging about.

She dismissed former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-3 in a statement victory.

After admitting to being nervous and timid in embarking on her title defense, this was more like the Keys who stunned Aryna Sabalenka in the final a year ago.

The 30-year-old Keys said that being based in Florida meant she was well used to baking temperatures.

“I am feeling really good, and I was excited for the heat today and ready for it,” she said.

The ninth-seeded Keys faces good friend and compatriot Pegula for a place in the quarter-finals.

The sixth-seeded Pegula powered past unseeded Russian Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-3, 6-2 in 66 minutes.

“Nice to be first out on court and not a super long match, and didn’t need to kill myself in the heat today,” she said.

Pegula and Keys know each other well, even hosting a tennis podcast together.

Another title contender, Amanda Anisimova, made light work of fellow American Peyton Stearns 6-1, 6-4.

Multiple major winners Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka also had results. Swiatek ousted Russian Anna Kalinskaya 6-1, 1-6, 6-1, but two-time champion Osaka pulled out of the tournament ahead of her third-round clash against Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis.

“I’ve had to make the difficult decision to withdraw to address something my body needs attention for after my last match,” Osaka wrote on Instagram. “I was so excited to keep going and this run meant the most to me, so having to stop here breaks my heart, but I can’t risk doing any further damage so I can get back on court.”

Others to advance in the third round of the women’s singles were Amanda Anisimova of the US and Belgium’s Elise Mertens.