Reigning champion Victoria Azarenka described it as “like dancing in a frying pan” as she began the defence of her Australian Open title in Melbourne’s blistering heat on Tuesday.
But at least she knew the steps.
The second-seeded Azarenka overcame Sweden’s Johanna Larsson to win 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 after her opponent twice served for the first set.
Also through to round two on a day when the courts became hot enough to melt a water bottle were fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska, eighth seed Jelena Jankovic and 10th seed Caroline Wozniacki.
“It felt pretty hot, like you were dancing in a frying pan,” Azarenka said.
Apart from that, the two-time Australian champion handled the conditions well, venturing out for a practice hit following her 106 minutes on the Rod Laver Arena.
“I feel pretty good at the end. Actually I felt better as the match went on,” she said.
Others coped less well.
Wozniacki received a reminder of the heat as she watched a plastic water bottle she placed on the court begin to crumple, players vomited on court and dozens of fans required treatment as the mercury rose to a reported 44 degrees.
Among the leading players, Azarenka’s time on court was exceeded only by Radwanska, who took two hours and 22 minutes to dispose of Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva 6-0 5-7 6-2.
The Polish No.1 said the match became a battle of endurance in which her experience played a vital role.
“This is grand slam tennis …. fighting to the end and not giving up,” she said.
“This is what you learn from playing in these tournaments.”
Wozniacki took a more healthy 67 minutes to beat Spain’s Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-0 6-2 and was as happy about finishing as winning.
“I was glad to get off the court quickly, not too much time out there,” Wozniacki said.
Jankovic added to the dominance of the seeded women players with a 6-1 6-2 first-round win over Japan’s Misaki Doi in 74 minutes.
Also into round two is Romanian 11th seed Simona Halep, who beat Poland’s Katarzyna Piter 6-0 6-1 in under an hour and Spanish 16th seed Carla Suarez Navarro who overcame American Vania King 6-3 6-2.