"MELBOURNE, Australia -- It's Day 8 at the Australian Open and that means it's time for the fourth-round action to begin. World No. 1s Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka will return to Rod Laver Arena eyeing their places in the last eight, as will Coco Gauff and top-ranked Australian Alex de Minaur. Yesterday at Melbourne Park, temperatures hit a scorching 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), forcing organisers to implement the tournament's extreme heat policy."
"Play was halted on all courts just after 2:30pm local time and only permitted to continue on Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena, and John Cain Arena after roofs were shut. The delay on the outside courts lasted almost five hours. Day 7 also saw two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka withdraw from the tournament, citing an abdominal injury, while Novak Djokovic was very nearly defaulted for slashing a ball in the direction of a ball kid."
Day 8 at the Australian Open begins fourth-round competition with World No. 1s Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Alex de Minaur aiming for quarterfinal places. Temperatures at Melbourne Park reached 40 degrees Celsius, triggering the tournament's extreme heat policy and causing play to be halted on all courts just after 2:30pm local time. Matches were only allowed to continue in Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena, and John Cain Arena after roofs were closed, while outside courts experienced an almost five-hour delay. Naomi Osaka withdrew with an abdominal injury, and Novak Djokovic was nearly defaulted for slashing a ball toward a ball kid.
Read at ESPN.com
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