Melbourne, Australia: The nine first-round retirements at the Australian Open -- eight men and one woman -- equaled a record for the most retirements or walkovers in a single round at any Grand Slam in the Open Era.
As the heat wave continued at Melbourne Park on Wednesday, 32nd-seeded Ivan Dodig became the 10th player to withdraw from the tournament. He retired due to cramping while trailing Bosnian qualifier Damir Dzumhur 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 4-1.
Tournament officials said the nine retirements in the first round matched the record set in the first round at the 2011 U.S. Open and the second round at the 2013 Wimbledon. The U.S. Open in 2011 holds the record for most overall number of retirements with 17.
