Shelby Rogers Ousts Fourth Seed Simona Halep at Australian Open

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Photo Shelby Rogers serving in the Australian Open in Melbourne on Monday. Rogers defeated Simona Halep, who is ranked No. 4 in the world, 6-3, 6-1. Credit Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

MELBOURNE, Australia Shelby Rogers, who made one of last seasons most surprising surges, picked up where she left off by delivering the first major upset of the Australian Open on Monday.

The unseeded Rogers beat Simona Halep, the fourth seed, in routine fashion, 6-3, 6-1, in the opening match on center court at Rod Laver Arena. Rogers, of South Carolina, dominated the match with her serve, winning 71 percent of her first-serve points and 63 percent on her second serve. She faced only one break point, which she saved, and broke Haleps serve four times during a 75-minute match.

Rogers, 24, who is ranked No. 52 in the world, first made waves at the French Open last year, when she marched to the quarterfinals, losing to Garbie Muguruza, the eventual champion. Rogers was ranked No. 108 at the time.

The biggest thing I took away from that was just that I can compete with the top players in the world, and Im good enough, Rogers said. Little things here and there I need to work on, but Im here. I need to believe in myself.

Halep, ranked No. 4 in the world, took a medical timeout at the end of the first set as she struggled with her movement. She said after the match that she had painful tendinitis in her left knee. With Halep hampered, Rogers used her superior power to control rallies and overwhelm Haleps defenses.

I think I played great today, trying to be aggressive going out there, Rogers said. My game plan worked: Just move forward, hit your shots, be really aggressive. When Im doing that, Im playing well.

Halep, of Romania, beat Rogers easily in the third round of the 2015 United States Open, their only previous meeting.

A two-time quarterfinalist in Melbourne, Halep also lost in the first round of last years Australian Open, losing to the Chinese qualifier Zhang Shuai.

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Players to face intense heat at Australian Open on Tuesday

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Players and fans will face intense heat for Tuesday"s Australian Open action in Melbourne.

"Hot and breezy conditions will accompany the Australian Open on Tuesday," AccuWeather Meteorologist Rob Richards said.

Temperatures are set to soar to around 34 C (93 F) on Tuesday. A gusty breeze and the absence of high humidity will prevent the AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature from being significantly higher.

Highs in the mid-20s C (upper 70s F) are more common in Melbourne this time of year.

Fans and players will want to take the necessary precautions, including drinking plenty of water and wearing light-colored clothing, to protect themselves from heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

"Water fountains are provided around Melbourne Park for the benefit of patrons," the official website of the Australian Open said.

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Melbourne Park, home to the Australian Open, has three courts with retractable roofs. Other courts used by the tournament offer no protection against adverse weather.

"The Australian Open has an Extreme Heat Policy," the website said. That goes into effect, "once the ambient (surrounding temperature) exceeds 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and the Wet Bulb Global Temperature reading exceeds 32.5 C (90.5 F)."

The Wet Bulb Global Temperature accounts for temperature, humidity, sun angle, solar radiation and wind speed. Those same components are part of the equation to calculate the AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature.

Heat already affected this year"s Australian Open, according to the tournament"s website. Day one of the men"s qualifying round was suspended last Wednesday.

Switzerland"s Stan Wawrinka wipes sweat from his face during a practice session on Rod Laver Arena ahead of the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)

Data from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology indicates that temperatures at Melbourne"s Olympic Park peaked at 42.2 C (108 F) on Wednesday.

Relief from the heat at the beginning of the tournament will come at midweek.

"A cooldown will start Tuesday night into Wednesday due to a cold front that will cause showers and possibly a thunderstorm. That can lead to delays in play," Richards said.

High temperatures will be lower for the middle and end of the week. By the weekend, temperatures will be returning to near normal.

A shower or thunderstorm may persist into Friday, helping to keep the heat from returning.

Source: http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/australian-open-heat-extreme-p/54829799

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