MELBOURNE—Super Serbs Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic on Monday battled through baking heat to ease into the second round of the Australian Open.
Top seeded Jankovic complained of burning feet and soothed them in ice during breaks as the temperature soared to 50 Celsius on court.
And she ensured she spent as little time as possible under the blazing sun while whipping Austrian Yvonne Meusburger 6-1 6-3.
Ivanovic, the French Open champion and finalist here last year, struggled early against pesky German Julia Goerges before sealing her berth 7-5 6-3.
Russian seventh seed Vera Zvonareva mirrored the pattern of Ivanovic's first round clash, her win over Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova coming with a 7-6 (7-2) 6-0 scoreline.
Jankovic said her feet were "like fire."
"One problem that I had was me feet were burning, you know, the soles of my shoes got so hot," she said.
"Probably you have seen in the changeovers I was putting my feet on ice, kind of trying to cool it down.
"The court gets so hot ... it's normal that the soles of the shoes will get hot as well, especially with the friction, it gets warmer and warmer.
"Really, it's like fire, the soles of my shoes."
Ivanovic belied her sluggish start when she declared after her victory this Australian Open could be "my two weeks."
Ivanovic said she felt she was close to playing her best tennis since winning last year's French Open in June.
The former World No.1 is aiming to go that critical step further after finishing runner up here last year to Russian Maria Sharapova.
And she feels now she has regained the form and confidence to do it.
"I feel as if it's the new year and feel I'm in great physical shape and it's a fresh start for me," Ivanovic said.
"I just want to take the experience I got from last year and just enjoy my time again and enjoy competing again.
"I think this might be my two weeks."
If she does repeat or better last year's run it will be the result of either being in the right place at the right time or simply stepping up a gear mentally and physically.
"Honestly you want to perform the best you can very match but it only happens maybe a few times a year that you play perfect tennis.
"Other days you have to work yourself and stay tough and be mentally stronger maybe than other players.
"I've put a lot of hard work in in the off-season and obviously worked hard off the court as well but I just need some matches to get into that competition spirit again and get some confidence.
"I just want to have the feeling that I gave 100 per cent and if that's good enough to win then that's perfect.
"I just want to be honest with myself that I gave it the best chance I can possibly give."
Japan's former world No.4 Kimiko Date Krumm, on the comeback trail at the age of 38, had her Open dream shattered when she went down to Estonian Kaia Kanepi in a stirring 6-4 4-6 8-6 battle.
Date Krumm had reached the main draw via qualifying while Kanepi went into the tournament as 25th seed.
Results From Australian Open Today
Men Round 1
(bold donates seeded players)
23-Mardy Fish (USA) bt WC-Samuel Groth (AUS) 6-7(3) 6-4 7-5 6-0.
Gilles Muller (LUX) bt 27-Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 6-3 7-6(5) 4-6 4-6 16-14.
3-Novak Djokovic (SRB) bt Q-Andrea Stoppini (ITA) 6-2 6-3 7-5.
WC-Brydan Klein (AUS) bt Q-Bjorn Phau (GER) 6-4 6-3 4-6 6-3.
Jeremy Chardy (FRA) bt Marcos Daniel (BRA) 6-4 6-4 6-1.
Viktor Troicki (SRB) bt Alberto Martin (ESP) 6-3 3-6 6-2 6-4.
WC-Bernard Tomic (AUS) bt Potito Starace (ITA) 7-6(5) 1-6 7-6(5) 7-6(6).
Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) bt Julien Benneteau (FRA) 6-3 7-6(5) 6-2.
15-Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) bt Ivo Minar (CZE) 6-1 2-6 7-5 7-6(9).
11-David Ferrer (ESP) bt Denis Gremelmayr (GER) 6-1 6-7(6) 6-1 6-7(4) 6-4.
8-Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) bt Mischa Zverev (GER) 6-3 6-4 6-2.
21-Tommy Robredo (ESP) bt Bobby Reynolds (USA) 6-2 7-5 6-1.
16-Robin Soderling (SWE) bt Robert Kendrick (USA) 5-7 6-4 6-4 7-5.
Q-Dominik Hrbaty (SVK) bt WC-John Isner (USA) 7-6(4) 2-6 6-2 7-5.
Q-Xavier Malisse (BEL) bt Michael Llodra (FRA) 7-6(8) 6-1 6-1.
Q-Florian Mayer (GER) bt Q-Lamine Ouahab (ALG) 6-2 6-1 6-2.
20-Tomas Berdych (CZE) bt Robby Ginepri (USA) 6-4 6-4 6-3.
7-Andy Roddick (USA) bt Q-Bjorn Rehnquist (SWE) 6-0 6-2 6-2.
Brian Dabul (ARG) bt Philipp Petzschner (GER) 6-1 6-2 6-4.
Women Round 1
Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (FRA) bt Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) 6-3 6-4.
Edina Gallovits (ROU) bt Maria Elena Camerin (ITA) 6-3 2-6 6-3.
26-Ai Sugiyama (JPN) bt Q-Stephanie Dubois (CAN) 6-0 7-6(5).
WC-Jelena Dokic (AUS) bt Tamira Paszek (AUT) 6-2 3-6 6-4.
Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ) bt 23-Agnes Szavay (HUN) 6-3 3-6 6-4.
Monica Niculescu (ROU) bt Q-Katie O'Brien (GBR) 6-4 6-4.
1-Jelena Jankovic (SRB) bt Yvonne Meusburger (AUT) 6-1 6-3.
16-Marion Bartoli (FRA) bt Melanie South (GBR) 6-2 6-4.
25-Kaia Kanepi (EST) bt Q-Kimiko Date Krumm (JPN) 6-4 4-6 8-6.
Andrea Petkovic (GER) bt Q-Kathrin Worle (GER) 5-7 7-6(0) 4-0 ret.
Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) bt Rossana De Los Rios (PAR) 6-3 6-2.
Nathalie Dechy (FRA) bt Q-Viktoriya Kutuzova (UKR) 6-3 6-0.
Q-Alberta Brianti (ITA) bt Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 6-4 6-2.
7-Vera Zvonareva (RUS) bt Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 7-6(2) 6-0.
Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) bt Q-Karolina Sprem (CRO) 6-0 6-4.
Patricia Mayr (AUT) bt Q-Julia Schruff (GER) 6-4 6-1.
5-Ana Ivanovic (SRB) bt Julia Gorges (GER) 7-5 6-3.
15-Alize Cornet (FRA) bt Mariya Koryttseva (UKR) 6-3 6-4.
