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MELBOURNE - David Nalbandian has urged a review of the Australian Open's extreme heat policy after winning the mind games over wilting opponent Janko Tipsarevic in scorching heat yesterday.
The Argentine eighth seed reached the second round when the world No 64 Serbian, labouring in the intense heat,
called a halt early in the fifth set.
The atmospheric temperature reached 40.2C yesterday, with the court surface at Melbourne Park topping 50C.
Nalbandian, who clawed back from two sets and a break down, was leading 6-7 (5-7) 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-0, 2-1 at the time of Tipsarevic's retirement.
Nalbandian, a semifinalist in Melbourne last year after three consecutive quarter-final appearances, faces Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador in the next round.
The Argentine, one of the most durable players on the circuit, described playing conditions as "terrible" and "disgusting" and said more should be done to look after the players' welfare in the extreme heat.
"When we are playing in these conditions I think you need more help," he said. "Okay the rules are like this, so we couldn't change it [today]. But if you ask everybody, they will say that we need more help."
Nalbandian said it was a case of more help from the trainers during changeovers to get through the match.
"I don't know if you stop [the match] or not. That's difficult to say when to stop," he said. "But maybe you can get more massage or more treatment or whatever you need.
"And it's not only cramping, it's not only injury, it's everything. It's very disgusting playing like this ... we need something else than two timeouts."
Nalbandian said he disguised how he was feeling from the melting Tipsarevic, who visibly deteriorated after serving for the match only to be broken back and lose the third set tiebreaker and lose all hope.
"You just try to keep energy. That's the most important thing. Then after it's more like a mind game," he said.
"I mean, it's everything in the mind. I was very tired as well, but I didn't show to him how I feel it."
Big names Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova won their opening matches, although the Russian also struggled in the heat against France's Camille Pin.
Sharapova almost became the first Australian Open women's top seed to lose in the opening round since 1979.
Pin served for the match at 7-6 in the final set before dropping 10 straight points to hand Sharapova victory 6-3, 4-6, 9-7.
But it was heavy going as Sharapova, red-faced, dripping sweat and swearing at the umpire, stumbled through the second set before a new burst of energy carried her 5-0 clear in the third.
The 19-year-old world No 2 said she was "delusional" at stages of the game as she struggled to overcome cramps in the heat, and added her voice to calls for the tournament to be rescheduled to a cooler time.
"It's inhumanly possible to play three hours in that kind of heat," she said. "I don't think our bodies were made to do that."
Nadal overcame a first-set scare from American Robert Kendrick before winning 7-6, 6-3, 6-2.
At least the Spanish world No 2 had the benefit of playing indoors after the roof at Rod Laver Arena was closed once the extreme heat policy came into effect shortly after midday.
Organisers can kick-start their extreme heat plans when the thermometers pass 35C and when the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, a combination of ambient air temperature and humidity, exceeds 28C.
Players are also able to use ice vests when the heat exceeds 26C.
Three-time former champion Martina Hingis booked a second-round berth with a 6-0, 6-2 demolition of France's Nathalie Dechy.
The Swiss sixth seed, who appeared in six consecutive finals from 1997, gave the 27-year-old Dechy no chance with her crisp groundstrokes and superior court speed.
Fourth seed Kim Clijsters confirmed she will be a player to beat with a 6-0, 6-0 demolition of Russian Vasilisa Bardina.
- AFP, AAP