Australian Open suspends play as tennis stars suffer in extreme heat

• Sinner battles cramps in victory over Spizzirri

• Temperatures push towards 40C in Melbourne

Extreme temperatures triggered the Australian Open’s heat protocols on Saturday, wreaking havoc on the day’s schedule and forcing fans to go without tennis on the outside courts for much of the afternoon.

The defending champion, Jannik Sinner, was one of the beneficiaries of the heat protocols being implemented, the Italian struggling with cramps and down a break in the third set against American world No 85 Eliot Spizzirri.

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