Australian Open heatwave: Play officially suspended on outside courts

Jake Beddard

Australian Open heatwave: Play officially suspended on outside courts image

It was only a matter of time, but play at the Australian Open has been suspended.

With Melbourne weather at its bipolar best, and flirting with temperatures as high as 40 degrees, play on the outside courts at Melbourne Park has officially been suspended temporarily. 

Fortunately, play at the three major courts - Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena - is allowed to continue thanks to each venue having a roof.

The disruptions mean that as of 3:30 p.m. AEDT, 10 matches are suspended, including the third round matchup at Kia Arena of the women's singles draw between 13 seed Linda Noskova and Xinyu Wang.

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It is unclear when each match will be clear to resume.

Players are unlikely to see a cooldown in temperatures on day seven of the tournament, with conditions expected to remain above 30 degrees well into the night.

Staff Writer