Stars struggle in Open heat

MELBOURNE. — World number one Andy Murray was tested and Stan Wawrinka lost his cool as tennis stars struggled on a hot first day at the Australian Open yesterday.

Roger Federer and Angelique Kerber, the defending women’s champion, both dropped sets on a day which threatened a host of upsets at Melbourne Park.

In the event, fourth seed Simona Halep was the only major casualty as soaring afternoon temperatures gave way to a cool evening at Melbourne Park.

Australia’s often hot-headed Nick Kyrgios was uncharacteristically 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.

“I stopped playing. He could play anywhere, the whole court,” a perplexed Klizan said. “He could play anywhere on the court and he hit me.”

As afternoon temperatures topped 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit), Murray came through a two hours, 47 minutes 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.

“Any match is a good match,” said the 35-year-old Federer, who missed the second half of 2016 with a knee injury.

“Even if I would have lost today, it would have been good because I’m back on the court.”