MELBOURNE, Australia — Conscious of the time and the temperature, former No. 1-ranked Caroline Wozniacki raced to a 6-0, 6-2 win over Lourdes Dominguez Lino in the first round of the Australian Open on Tuesday.
Melbourne was braced for a predicted heat wave, with temperatures topping 37 Celsius (99 Fahrenheit) as play got under way on the second day of the tournament and a hot, gusty breeze swirled across the venue. With the hot conditions forecast to last at least until Friday, the higher-ranked players were desperate to progress quickly.
No. 11 Simona Halep was off the court within an hour after a 6-0, 6-1 win over Polish qualifier Katarzyna Piter.
No. 25 Alize Cornet only had to win one game before Polona Hercog of Slovenia retired with an undisclosed injury.