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Players fainted and vomited and a ball boy collapsed as the Australian Open boiled in one of the hottest days in its history on Tuesday, prompting angry complaints and keeping fans away in droves.
Temperatures of 42.2 Celsius made for a punishing day for the players with some incensed their matches went ahead.
Canada's Frank Dancevic lashed out at the "inhumane" playing conditions after he felt dizzy and then blacked out and needed
treatment during his first-round defeat to Benoit Paire.
Chinese player Peng Shuai cramped and vomited during her loss to Japan's Kurumi Nara, and also received a violation for time-wasting at a moment when she said she was unable to walk.
Meanwhile: Italy's Andreas Seppi endured a more than four-hour epic in sizzling heat before finally overcoming a stubborn Lleyton Hewitt and a partisan Australian Open crowd 7-6 , 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 7-5 in a draining four hours and 18 minutes.
Wimbledon champion and fourth seed Andy Murray swept into the second round with a 6-1, 6-1, 6-3 rout of Japan's Go Soeda as he works his way to full match fitness after back surgery last September.
Roger Federer made light work of Australian wildcard James Duckworth, winning 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in one hour 46 minutes
Former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro came from a set down to oust American Rhyne Williams and former
Australian open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga brushed aside Italian Filippo Volandri in straight sets.
Top seed Rafael Nadal was granted an easy passage into the second round after his opponent Bernard Tomic retired with a thigh injury after losing the opening set 6-4.
Amongst the ladies - title-holder Victoria Azarenka moved into the second round with an error-strewn 7 6 6 2 win over world number 91 Johanna Larsson.
