Players feel heat in Melbourne
BREATHLESS: TOP STARS STRUGGLE AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Stan Wawrinka loses his cool against Ukrainian Klizan.
Melbourne
World No 1 Andy Murray was tested and Stan Wawrinka lost his cool as stars struggled on a hot first day at the Australian Open yesterday.
However, fourth seed Simona Halep was the only major casualty.
Australia’s often hot-headed Nick Kyrgios was calm as he thumped Gastao Elias 6-1, 6-2, 6-2, despite a nosebleed which halted him mid-match.
But Wawrinka drew gasps as he smashed a volley straight at a static Martin Klizan deep in the fifth set, en route to a difficult 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 win.
“He could play anywhere, the whole court,” a perplexed Klizan said. “He could play anywhere on the court and he hit me.”
Murray came through a tough test against Ukraine’s Illya Marchenko 7-5, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2.
He fared better than Kei Nishikori and Marin Cilic, who were both taken to five sets, while Federer was extended 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 by Austria’s Jurgen Melzer.
Defending champion Angelique Kerber laboured past Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko 6-2, 5-7, 6-2.
The German took time to settle against Tsurenko. But she also started slowly last year, when she had to save a match point against Misaki Doi in the first round.
Halep’s usual zip was glaringly absent as she went down 6-3, 6-1 to young American Shelby Rogers.
Afterwards she said a knee injury had slowed her down as she succumbed in the first round for the second consecutive year.
Venus Williams, the oldest player in the women’s draw at 36, also found herself with a fight on her hands but she came through 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 against 22-year-old Kateryna Kozlova.
Japan’s Nishikori, who says he is primed to win his first Major title, came through a five-set battle with Russia’s Andrey Kuznetsov 5-7, 6-1, 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-2. –