MELBOURNE, Australia — Play on outdoor courts was suspended Saturday afternoon and play on concealed courts was briefly suspended under heat rules at the Australian Open.
Defending champion Jannik Sinner suffered a break in the third set of his third-round match against Elliot Spitzri and struggled with cramps, halting play for several minutes and causing the Rod Laver Arena roof to close.
A game at John Cain Stadium was also suspended due to the closure of the stadium roof. When the event heat index reaches 5, all off-site games will be suspended and are expected to be suspended for at least three hours.
Temperatures were around 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) when the extreme heat policy was activated, with temperatures expected to reach as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).
An earlier-than-usual start to Day 7, coupled with hot weather, had defending champion Madison Keys and fellow American Jessica Pegula unfazed in the morning session. Nineth-seeded Keys beat Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-3 in their first match at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday, while sixth-seeded Pegula defeated Oksana Selehmeteva 6-3, 6-2 in her first match at Margaret Court Arena.
Next, the two American players will face off in the fourth round.
“I served well and overall I give myself a lot of credit for my performance,” Keys said of her win. “It gives you a boost when you find your best tennis, trust your game and try to do the right things.”
Pegula said she doesn’t mind the warmer temperatures — “As a Floridian, I’m prepared for it.”
Case said she expects a tough fourth-round matchup with Pegula.
“Jess is a really good player and she plays great in every game,” Case said. “She was at every game. It also made it difficult for us to be friends.”
There was another All-American match on Saturday – fourth seed Amanda Anisimova advanced to the round of 16 by defeating Payton Stearns 6-1, 6-4.
Keys and Pegula, along with several other WTA players, create a podcast called Player Box that documents daily life on tour.
“I think we have to do (one) before the game, so we’ll see how it goes,” Keys said with a smile.
Of the U.S. players playing in Saturday’s early game, Spitzri has the toughest task. The 24-year-old Spitzri was playing table tennis on a public table at the Melbourne Park Gardens on Friday’s off day against the two-time defending champion and second-seeded Sinners.
Djokovic, nightclub in Osaka
Ten-time champion Novak Djokovic will continue his quest for a record 25th Grand Slam singles title in the evening’s match at Rod Laver Arena. Djokovic plays Botic van der Zandschulp in the first match of the evening.
The final match on the home court will likely leave spectators speculating about what kind of fashion statement Osaka will make in her third-round clash with Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis.
Osaka, a winner of two Australian Open titles out of four Grand Slams, entered her first-round match wearing a sombrero, veil and white parasol. For the second time, Osaka ditched the couture hat, veil and parasol, but still wore a jellyfish-style dress and matching warm-up jacket.
