| Dates: 16-29 January Venue: Melbourne Park |
| Coverage: Commentary every day from 07:00 GMT on Radio 5 Sports Extra ‘Tennis Breakfast’ live from Melbourne, with selected live text commentaries and match reports on the BBC Sport website and app. |
Play on the outside courts at the Australian Open was interrupted by extreme heat and then rain on the second day in Melbourne.
With temperatures above 35C, matches were stopped just before 14:15 local time (03:15 GMT).
They resumed after a three-hour break, allowing several matches to be completed, but rain later in the evening further held up play.
There will be no play on the outside courts at Melbourne Park before 10:00.
Andy Murray’s match against Matteo Berrettini was allowed to start under the roof on Rod Laver Arena during the heat break.
Matches on Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena – which both have a roof – were also allowed to continue.
Play stopped outside when the Australian Open heat stress scale – which takes into account the strength of the sun, air temperature in the shade, relative humidity, and wind speed – reached its highest level of five.
The extreme heat policy had earlier come into effect when the scale hit four, allowing singles players to take a 10-minute break during the match and have a shower or use cooling rooms.
Britain’s Dan Evans was involved in one of the matches that was delayed by the heat, leading two sets to one against Argentina’s Facunado Bagnis.
Evans, like many of the players who were involved in the earlier matches, used an ice pack on his head during changeovers.
He returned to court later to register a 6-4 4-6 6-4 6-4 win.
