Tennis fans enjoy the soaring temperatures at Melbourne Park but it is a lot tougher in the sun for the players

Third seed Novak Djokovic is first up on the Rod Laver Arena, facing big-serving German Benjamin Becker

Djokovic shows why he is being tipped to challenge Roger Federer in 2008, easily sweeping Becker aside

Germany's Andrea Petkovic picks up an injury in the very first game of her match with sixth seed Anna Chakvetadze

A tearful Petkovic cannot continue and Chakvetadze is handed an easier than expected route into the second round

Ninth seeded Daniela Hantuchova will join her after a determined display in the heat sees off Vania King

Argentina's David Nalbandian, a semi-finalist in 2006, gets his campaign off to a winning start against Robert Smeets

Svetlana Kuznetsova tries to keep her cool during her game with France's Nathalie Dechy

Big-hitting Russian Kuznetsova, the second seed, is up and running at Melbourne Park after a crushing 6-3 6-1 victory

Home hope Lleyton Hewitt has plenty of fist-pumping opportunities as he demolishes Steve Darcis

Marcos Baghdatis, runner-up in 2006, again enjoys plenty of support as he beats 2002 champion Thomas Johansson

Venus Williams gives a far-from-convincing performance against China's Yan Zi, ranked 61, but wins 6-2 7-5

Two tennis greats bump into each other as Evonne Goolagong and Serena Williams chat in Melbourne

Former champion Marat Safin gets his campaign off to an impressive start with a straight-sets win over Ernests Gulbis

Top seed Roger Federer comes into the tournament without any matches under his belt because of a stomach virus

But the defending champion shows no signs of rust as he sweeps past Diego Hartfield 6-0 6-3 6-0