Extreme heat triggers suspension rule at baking Australian Open

Melbourne: Extreme heat triggered a suspension of play on outside courts at the Australian Open on Saturday and briefly held up the match involving ch...

Melbourne: Extreme heat triggered a suspension of play on outside courts at the Australian Open on Saturday and briefly held up the match involving champion Jannik Sinner before his encounter resumed under a closed roof.

Players, spectators and officials roasted on day seven at Melbourne Park, where temperatures were forecast to hit 40C in the late afternoon.

The tournament has a Heat Stress Scale of 1-5, with five the highest.

It hit five in the early afternoon, when it was about 36C, prompting the suspension.

The third-round clash between Sinner and the American Eliot Spizzirri at Rod Laver Arena stopped for about 10 minutes, allowing time for the roof to shut.