'Don't sweat over heat'

Organisers on Monday reassured players their safety was paramount at the Australian Open, saying no-one had ever died from extreme heat at a tennis tournament while warning of the dangers of over-drinking.

“Tennis, as a sport, is relatively low risk for major heat problems compared to football and continuous running events,” the tournament’s chief medical officer Tim Wood said.

“Certainly in the next four days the players will have plenty of chance to acclimatise. The body does put in measures that assist in coping with the heat, so if anything, the players will acclimatise with playing in the heat.”