Melbourne’s hot, Djokovic bothered

MELBOURNE, Australia — On a day when shade was a valuable commodity in the searing heat at Melbourne Park, Roger Federer played it cool Thursday at the Australian Open.

But six-time champ Novak Djokovic complained about the brutal conditions during his second-round win over Gael Monfils, when the temperature peaked at 104 degrees.

Djokovic urged tennis organizers to be more flexible about the rules for drink breaks, time between points and suspension of play when conditions bordered on dangerous.

After winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3, Djokovic said: “Certain days ... you just have to, as a tournament supervisor, recognize that you might need to give players a few extra hours.” He said conditions were at the point where it becomes a “danger in terms of health.”

Defending champion Federer finished off a 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (4) win over JanLennard Struff a half-hour before midnight, when the temperature was still 84, but said playing at the height of the heat wouldn’t have bothered him.

“I may have thrived in those conditions,” he said. “”I’m happy I played at night time. But I would back myself playing during the daytime also.”

Temperatures were expected to rise Friday before cooling off considerably over the weekend, when Federer and Djokovic’s half of the draw is back for the third round.

No. 7 David Goffin, No. 9 Stan Wawrinka and No. 13 Sam Querrey didn’t make it through the second round. Wawrinka, the 2014 champ, lost 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 to 97thranked Tennys Sandgren in the second round, his earliest exit in a decade here.

“I had surgery five months ago,” said Wawrinka, who still has a visible scar down his left knee and hadn’t played since Wimbledon. “To be that far already, it’s more than we could’ve expected.”

On the women’s side, 2016 champion Angelique Kerber beat Donna Vekic 6-4, 6-1 to set up a thirdround match with Maria Sharapova. And top-ranked Simona Halep held off 2014 Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard 6-2, 6-2.