Alex de Minaur is safely through to the fourth round of the Australian Open.
The world number six has only dropped one set at the Australian Open so far.
After beating Mackenzie McDonald (6-2, 6-2, 6-3) and Hamad Medjedovic (6-7, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1), De Minaur defeated Frances Tiafoe, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.
He’ll now enjoy a day off, while his rivals prepare to brave the extreme heat set to sweep across Melbourne on Saturday, January 24.
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During his latest press conference, De Minaur warned his rivals about the heat and told them what to expect.
Alex de Minaur says it ‘all comes down to prep’ when playing in extreme heat
“Yeah, it is going to be a lot,” he said.
“Obviously, growing up here, I wouldn’t have, well, let me rephrase that. I think I would handle it better than a lot of other opponents.
“I wouldn’t say I would have enjoyed it out there, because I’m sure no one would enjoy it when it’s so hot.”
He then advised those playing on Saturday on what to do before their matches.
“Yeah, it all comes down to the prep, right?” said De Minaur.
“You’ve got to make sure that you hydrate, you eat well, you recover well, make sure everything prior to the match, and as the match is going on, ice towels from the very first game.
“Make sure you stay in the shade as much as you can, and, yeah, get ready for feeling uncomfortable.
“But sometimes that’s part of tennis and is one of the factors that play into this beautiful game that we have.
What has been the biggest upset at the Australian Open so far?
“We will see tomorrow who handles it better.”
In anticipation of the hot weather, tournament organisers made several adjustments to Saturday’s order of play.
The day session will start earlier, at 10.30 am (Melbourne), and only three matches will be played on Kia Arena, the one stadium in use without a retractable roof.
Saturday, January 24 – Order of play
| Match | Rod Laver Arena | Margaret Court Arena | John Cain Arena | Kia Arena |
| 1 | Karolina Pliskova vs Madison Keys (Day) | Jessica Pegula vs Oksana Selekhmeteva (Day) | Lorenzo Musetti vs Tomas Machac (Day) | Karen Khachanov vs Luciano Darderi (Day) |
| 2 | Eliot Spizzirri vs Jannik Sinner (Day) | Peyton Stearns vs Amanda Anisimova (Day) | Elise Mertens vs Nikola Bartuncova (Day) | Linda Noskova vs Xinyu Wang (Day) |
| 3 | Botic van de Zandschulp vs Novak Djokovic (Night) | Ben Shelton vs Valentin Vacherot (Day) | Stan Wawrinka vs Taylor Fritz (Night) | Jakub Mensik vs Ethan Quinn (Day) |
| 4 | Naomi Osaka vs Maddison Inglis (Night) | Anna Kalinskaya vs Iga Swiatek (Night) | Elena Rybakina vs Tereza Valentova (Night) | – |
| 5 | – | Marin Cilic vs Casper Ruud (Night) | – |
For the likes of Jannik Sinner and Amanda Anisimova playing in the day session, they’ll hope it’s not quite as hot as the forecast suggests.
How hot will it be on Saturday at the Australian Open?
Temperatures could reach 40 degrees Celsius, or 104 degrees Fahrenheit, in Melbourne on Saturday.
If those numbers are to be believed, it will be the hottest day of the tournament so far.
Similar extreme heat is expected on Tuesday, January 27, when the singles quarterfinals begin.
What are the heat rules at the Australian Open?
Luckily for those taking to the court on Saturday, the Australian Open heat rules should keep them safe.
Those heat rules are based on the ‘Heat Stress Scale’, which is ranked from one to five.
The Australian Open ‘Heat Stress Scale’ measures four factors.
- Radiant heat
- Humidity
- Air temperature
- Wind speed
If the scale hits four, players are permitted a 10-minute break after the third set in a five-set match.
Then, if the scale hits five, play is suspended.
There are, however, retractable roofs and air conditioning on the three main courts; therefore, it’s unlikely we will see any extended breaks on Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena, or John Cain Arena.
Only time will tell what will happen on Saturday at the Australian Open, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.
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