By Bill Scott Jan 16, 2007, 12:52 GMT
Melbourne - Maria Sharapova overcame cramp to beat the heat at the Australian Open on Tuesday while leading seeds Kim Clijsters and Martina Hingis lost just two games between them in routs into the second round.
Russian Maria Sharapova returns the ball during a match against Camille Pin of France on first round women's singles match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday 16 January 2007. EPA/WEDA
Sharapova, bedevilled by a minor cramp in 40 Celsius temperatures, limped past fighting Frenchwoman Camille Pin 6-3, 4-6, 9-7.
The Russian top seed managed to avoid the humiliation through her win in nearly three hours in the draining temperatures. A women's top seed has never been beaten in the first round and Sharapova did not want to be the first.
'In the middle of the second set I started getting some pinches in my abdominal muscle,' said the teenager with two Grand Slam titles to hand. 'It didn't feel like a cramp, so I kind of played with it.
'As the third set went on it was becoming more frequent so I was taking more deep breaths. I've definitely played in these sort of conditions, but I don't think for such a long period of time.
'It was hard to think about what you were going to do on court because you were just mentally trying to find a way to make the points shorter, trying to find a way to win.
'Sometimes when it's that hot outside, your mind doesn't work properly.'
Sharapova said she will be fit for her second-round date with fellow Russian Anastassia Rodionova.
Fourth seed Kim Clijsters, who is ending her career at age 24 sometime this season, scored a double-bagel over Russian Vasilisa Bardina 6-0, 6-0 while three-time champion Hingis was barely tested 6-0, 6-2 over Nathalie Dechy of France.
The day was played under the tournament's extreme heat policy, with no further matches schedules on outside courts while the moveable roofs of the two showcourts were closed after matches in progress were concluded.
If the temperature reaches 35 Celsius tournament referee Wayne McKewen can enact the policy; play will only restarts when weather conditions ease, guaranteeing a massive backlog of first-round matches.
Forecasts for Wednesday were for more of the same scorching weather and by early evening no matches had begun on outside courts.
Russian 12th seed Anna Chakvetadze joined Sharapova with a win over Austrian Sybille Bammer 6-4, 7-5.
Serb 13th seed Ana Ivanovic, who issued a plea to fans to behave after Monday's clashes between Serbs and Croatians, ousted American Vania King 6-2, 6-0. India's Sania Mirza beat Olga Savchuk of the Ukraine 6-3, 7-5.
On the men's side, second-seeded Rafael Nadal made a winning return to the event two years after his last appearance, defeating a familiar opponent in Robert Kendrick 7-6 (8-6), 6-3, 6-2 under the closed roof of the Rod Laver arena.
The Spanish second seed did not play the event in 2006 due to injury and reached the fourth round in 2005 and the third round on his debut in 2004.
'It felt a little bit different indoors, but I'm happy,' said the two-time Roland Garros winner. 'This is a good start for me.
'I had a very difficult first set, down a set point. It was important for me win the first tiebreak. After that, the match changed and got easier.'
Nadal, who took nearly an hour to collect the opening set, profited from 43 unforced errors from Kendrik, who left the Spaniard to successfully fight out of a two-sets-to-love deficit last summer at Wimbledon.
The American stood two points from defeating Nadal in the second round on the grass.
Men's eighth seed David Nalbandian won a clash between two players who have already been affected by injury in 2007.
The 2006 semi-finalist managed to overcome the tendinitis in his knee as he rallied past Serb Janko Tipsarevic 6-7 (5-7), 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-0, 2-1 retired. Tipsarevic had to quit injured two weeks ago at Adelaide.
'At two sets down, I was in the plane back home,' joked the relieved Argentine. 'It was very difficult.'
Czech 13th seed Tomas Berdych was untroubled by Korean Hyung-Taik Lee 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
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