MELBOURNE, Australia -- The scorching weather finally brought play to a halt on the fourth day of the Australian Open when the temperature topped 43F (109F), but not soon enough for some players who criticized officials for not stopping matches earlier. wholesale jerseys . The Extreme Heat Policy was enacted at Melbourne Park just before 2 p.m. Thursday, suspending all matches on outer courts until the early evening and requiring the closure of the retractable roofs at Rod Laver and Hisense arenas before play could continue on the show courts. It was the first time since 2009 play had been halted due to heat at the Australian Open. For Maria Sharapova, playing at Rod Laver Arena, the call came too late. The rule dictates the roof cant be closed until the end of a set in progress, so she was forced to finish a grueling third set against Italian Karin Knapp under the blazing sun. "Everyone knows there is no tiebreaker in the third set (at the Australian Open), so once you start that set, youre going to be out there until youre done," she said after closing out the 3 1/2-hour match, 6-3, 4-6, 10-8. Other players wilted in the heat. American Varvara Lepchenko received medical treatment during her match against 11th-seeded Romanian Simona Halep, lying flat on her back during a changeover as trainers rubbed iced on her body. "At first I didnt understand what was going on but then my legs, my arms started to get heavier. I couldnt focus at one point and started feeling dizzier and dizzier," she said. She continued but only won one more game in a 4-6, 6-0, 6-1 defeat. "They definitely should have just not started the matches in the first place," she said. "And the same goes for a couple of days ago when I played my (first) match." The heat wave began Tuesday when the temperature peaked at 42C (108F). The tournament referee did not halt play then because the Extreme Heat Policy also takes into account other factors, such as humidity and wind speed. The distinction is lost on the players, who have grumbled all week about the conditions which some have described as inhumane and dangerous. On Tuesday, Canadian Frank Dancevic blacked out and hallucinated during his match, while Chinas Peng Shuai vomited and suffered cramps. No. 25-seeded Alize Cornet of France sobbed on court Thursday after her draining 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Italian Camila Giorgi, then blasted officials for not halting play sooner. "On Tuesday, I dont know why they didnt stop matches," she said. "It was an oven. An oven. It was burning. Why today and not Tuesday?" The heat hasnt just affected players -- its also kept fans away. Total attendance was just 49,860 on Wednesday, down from Mondays high of 63,595. The unshaded seats on the outer courts were virtually empty Thursday, with spectators congregating under trees or in the upper reaches of stands where temporary covers provided a little relief. New Zealander Helen Naylor escaped the sun after watching fellow Kiwi Marina Erakovic play for a bit on Court 13. "Even the seats are really hot -- God knows how (the players) are running around out there." Relief is as least in sight. Friday will be another scorcher, with an expected high of 44C (111F), but Saturday it will only reach 23C (73F). That may feel downright chilly by comparison. wholesale nfl jerseys . PETERSBURG, Fla. wholesale jerseys . The Hamilton Tiger-Cats go into the 101st Grey Cup with very little pressure and a lot of love. http://www.chinajerseyscheap.us.com/ . -- A dominating two-week road trip for the Chicago Blackhawks gave warning to the rest of the NHL: Its going to be difficult to dethrone the defending Stanley Cup champions. cheap jerseys . Robin van Persie put United ahead in the 26th minute, pouncing on a rebound after Wayne Rooney had a shot blocked. But Southampton, one of the surprises of the league this season, troubled United throughout and claimed a deserved point when Lovren bundled in a corner from James Ward-Prowse in the 89th.cheap nfl jerseys . Incognito had a grievance hearing postponed last week while Wells interviewed Dolphins players, coaches and staff members surrounding the harassment and bullying allegations in the wake of Jonathan Martins exit from the team prior to the Week 9 game against Cincinnati.KANSAS CITY, Kan. - C.J. Sapong broke a seven-match goal drought, and Kei Kamara scored his team-leading fifth goal and added an assist to help Sporting Kansas City beat the San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 on Sunday. Sporting (8-3-1) broke a four-match winless streak. Simon Dawkins scored in the 72nd minute for San Jose (8-3-3), cutting it to 2-1. Kamara set up Sapongs fifth-minute goal with a long cross from the right flank, with Sapong finishing with his left foot froom 7 yards for his fourth goal of the season. cheap jerseys china. . In the 39th, left back Michael Harrington took a cross-field pass from right back Chance Myers, then fed the ball in to Kamara for a bouncing header past goalkeeper Jon Busch. Harrington was a 23rd-minute substitute for Seth Sinovic, who fell over the end boards and sustained a cut on his left hand that required 20 stitches. Sinovic was already playing with his broken right hand in a cast. cheap jerseys ' ' '

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