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SPORTS Friday 19 January 2018

Hot and bothered

Continued on Page 21 Still looking for a first ma-
jor after two French Open
“I may have thrived in those final losses, top-ranked Si-
conditions,” he said. “It’s mona Halep held off 2014
definitely a challenge. It’s Wimbledon finalist Eugenie
hard to prepare for that in Bouchard 6-2, 6-2. Halep
some ways, but you know will next play Lauren Davis.
when you come down U.S. Open finalist Madi-
here that can happen. son Keys opened with four
“Sure, I’m happy I played straight aces and won the
at night time. But, like I said first 11 games in a 6-0, 6-1
on court, I would back my- win over 92nd-ranked Ekat-
self playing during the day- erina Alexandrova.
time also. Used to go to Sixth-seeded Karolina Plis-
Dubai when it was 45 — 38 kova, No. 8 Caroline Garcia
seems almost OK.” and No. 26 Agnieszka Rad-
Temperatures are expect- wanska also advanced.
ed to rise on Friday, before Blisters from the hot court
cooling off considerably surface didn’t help Mugu-
over the weekend, when ruza in a 7-6 (1), 6-4 loss to
Federer and Djokovic’s half 88th-ranked Hsieh Su-wei,
of the draw is back for the who has been No. 1 in dou-
third round. bles but had a career-high France’s Gael Monfils bends over while playing Serbia’s Novak Djokovic during their second
Stan Wawrinka, the 2014 ranking of 23rd in singles. round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan.
Australian Open champi- Ninth-seeded Johanna 18, 2018.
on, No. 7 David Goffin and Konta also struggled in a Associated Press
No. 13 Sam Querrey didn’t straight-set loss to lucky los-
make it through the second er Bernarda Pera, an Amer- expected.” Djokovic’s 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 21 Albert Ramos and No.
round. Nor did Wimbledon ican who is ranked 123rd Wawrinka appeared le- win. Both players slouched 5 Dominic Thiem, who ral-
champion Garbine Mugu- and making her Grand thargic and generally over in the shade between lied to beat 190th-ranked
ruza, one of the five seed- Slam debut. Pera, who didn’t threaten Sandgren, points, earning warnings American qualifier Denis
ed women’s players who didn’t even know she had who had never beaten a about time delays from the Kudla 6-7 (6), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2,
were eliminated on Day 4. a spot in the main draw un- top-10 player. His wins in chair umpire. 6-3.
That left only Maria til another player withdrew, the first two rounds make The win was a relief for Djokovic said the condi-
Sharapova and Angelique will next play No. 20 Barbo- Sandgren 2-0 at majors. Djokovic, but he said offi- tions were some of the
Kerber — who will meet ra Strycova. Sandgren — his first name cials need to be more con- toughest he’s ever played
in the next round — and Wawrinka left it as late as comes down from his siderate about the players in, and had some advice
French Open champi- possible before deciding great-grandfather — said in the conditions. for organizers with temper-
on Jelena Ostapenko as his knee might just be good he held his celebrations in Now seeded 14th, Djokovic atures predicted to rise to
Grand Slam winners in the enough to get him through check out of respect for an needed four match points 42 degrees C (108 degrees
women’s draw. the first major of the season. injured opponent. in an eight-minute last F) on Day 5.
Sharapova beat 14th- Clearly, the 2014 champion Still, he added: “It’s a huge game before clinching the “There are certain days
seeded Anastasija Sevasto- was too ambitious. A 6-2, deal for me, and some- win against Monfils, who where you just have to, as
va 6-1, 7-6 (4) to avenge a 6-1, 6-4 loss to 97th-ranked thing that if I don’t ever get needed a medical timeout a tournament supervisor,
loss in last year’s U.S. Open, Tennys Sandgren in the another accomplishment, for heat stress and said he recognize that you might
the five-time major cham- second round was his earli- I can at least hang my hat had trouble breathing. need to give players few
pion’s first Grand Slam after est exit in a decade here. on this one.” “It was obvious we both extra hours,” he said. “I un-
returning from a 15-month “I only had surgery five Djokovic, who won four of suffered on the court to- derstand there is a factor
doping ban. months ago,” said Wawrin- the five Australian titles be- day,” Djokovic said. “Really of tickets. If you don’t play
Kerber, the 2016 Australian ka, who still has a visible tween 2011 and ‘16 before tough conditions — brutal.” matches, people will be
Open champion, had a scar running down his left his shocking second-round Juan Martin del Potro, the unhappy.”
6-4, 6-1 win over Donna Ve- knee and hadn’t played exit last year, extended his 2009 U.S. Open champion, But he said the conditions
kic before the crowd sang since Wimbledon. “To be career head-to-head dom- had issues with the heat but were at the point where
“Happy Birthday” to cele- that far already, it’s more ination over Monfils to 15-0. still advanced along with it becomes a “danger in
brate her 30th birthday. than what we could have The heat peaked during No. 19 Tomas Berdych, No. terms of health.”q