Maria Sharapova wrapped ice around her neck in a bid to keep cool during her first round win over Bethanie Mattek-Sands at the Australian Open. 
Playing earlier in the day, Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro felt the heat during his win over American Rhyne Williams. 
Italy's 15th seed Fabio Fognini took an outdoor shower in a bid to stay cool. 
Some fans also adopted the Fognini approach.. 
While supporters in the Rod Laver Arena could at least take cover under its roof, fans on the outside courts were exposed to the elements. 
While some chose to head to Melbourne Park, other Melbournians chose to hit St. Kilda beach. - Temperatures rise to 107.96 degrees Fahrenheit at the Australian Open
- Defending champions Victoria Azarenka says playing on court is like "dancing in a frying pan"
- Caroline Wozniacki claims her drinks bottle melted while she was playing
- China's Peng Shuai suffered cramps and vomited during her match
(CNN) -- With plastic bottles melting on court and players vomiting during matches, the heat is on in at the Australian Open, though organizers have cut the women some slack.
As temperatures soared, China's Peng Shuai blamed the conditions after she cramped up and was sick during her defeat to Kurumi Nara of Japan.
At one point temperatures at Melbourne Park rose to 42.2 Celsius (108 Fahrenheit), with world No. 2 Victoria Azarenka describing playing on the Rod Laver Arena court as like "dancing in a frying pan."
It got so hot, organizers introduced the tournament's "extreme heat" contingency plan which allows for an extended break between the second and third set for the women.
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"We have to reach a minimum threshold and have a forecast that it will be sustained for a reasonable time," McKewen said in a statement.
"That didn't happen. While conditions were hot and uncomfortable, the relatively low level of humidity ensured play would continue."
Despite searing heat, double defending champion Azarenka kept her cool, surviving a tough first set before going on to beat Swedish world No. 91 Johnanna Larsson 7-6 (7-2) 6-2.
The Belorussian would have liked organizers to close the roof on Melbourne Park's showpiece court to protect the players, with the blazing sun making conditions hot under foot.
"When I went out on the court I was just curious what the temperature was," the 24-year-old, who will play Barbora Zahlavova Strycova in the second round, told reporters.
"Because even though it was windy, the wind was hot. You normally expect some freshness ... but it just didn't come, from anywhere."
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Two legends of tennis came together in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open getting underway next week. Roger Federer, a 17-time grand slam winner, and the great Rod Laver delighted the crowd at the Rod Laver Arena by exchanging a couple of rallies ahead of a charity match. 
Laver may not be as agile as he once was, but world No. 6 Federer was delighted to be able to take to the court with one of his heroes.
During his 13-year playing career, Laver reached the top of the world rankings and won 11 grand slam titles. The lefthander retired in 1976. 
Federer and Laver played in the Rod Laver Arena, which annually hosts the Australian Open finals. 
A host of stars turned out to raise money for the Roger Federer Foundation. From left to right, Pat Rafter, Tony Roche, Federer, Laver, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Lleyton Hewitt pose for the cameras. Roger Federer vs. Rod Laver 
Bernard Tomic is a former junior world No. 1 and he has produced some big wins on the men's tennis tour, most notably at his home major in Australia and at Wimbledon. But his indiscretions and the behavior of his father, John, have made headlines for the wrong reasons. 
Tomic was one of the most highly-touted tennis juniors of recent decades, and boasted he would one day win all four major tournaments and become the world No. 1. 
In 2009 Tomic became the first Australian to win the U.S. Open boys' title in 25 years when he beat American Chase Buchanan. 
On the pro tour, Tomic has had memorable runs at the Australian Open the past three editions. It took Roger Federer to stop him in 2012 and 2013. 
Tomic has also fared well at Wimbledon. In 2011 he became the youngest man since Boris Becker to reach the quarterfinals at the All England Club. 
Despite his junior success in New York, he has never done well in the Big Apple in the senior ranks. And at the clay-court French Open he owns a poor 1-4 record. 
Andy Roddick thumped Tomic at the 2012 U.S. Open. Afterwards, Australian Davis Cup captain Patrick Rafter called Tomic's performance "disgraceful" and John McEnroe added that he "tanked," or threw in the towel. 
Legendary Australian coach Tony Roche, right, reportedly berated Tomic during a Davis Cup encounter against Germany in 2012, just weeks after losing to Roddick. A month later, Tomic said he gave only "85%" in a loss at the Shanghai Masters. 
Tomic's father and coach John, pictured, received an eight-month suspended sentence in September after he head-butted the player's former hitting partner Thomas Drouet. He has been banned from attending tournaments. 
Drouet is pictured here after the assault. In a diary that was later published by an Australian newspaper, Drouet claimed John Tomic punched his son in the face and shot him in the leg with a BB gun. 
What next for Tomic? Only time will tell. But he'll be hoping for another good Australian Open when the tournament begins in the middle of January. Tomic: Tennis' tainted talent? Also playing in marginally favorable conditions earlier in the day, former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki made light work of Lourdes Dominguez Lino.
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Tenth seed Wozniacki, who recently announced her engagement to golfer Rory McIlroy, needed just 67 minutes to wrap up a 6-0 6-2 win over the Spaniard, although the searing heat did take its toll on her drinks bottle.
"The first set I thought I managed to keep my head cool," said the Dane, who advanced to a meeting with American Christina McHale.
"Every time in the changeovers, ice bags, ice towels, everything; and then in the second set I could feel they were starting to heat up even more.
"I put the bottle down on the court and it started melting a little bit underneath, the plastic, so you knew it was warm.
"But it was warm for both of us, and it was great that I managed to finish it off in two sets and it wasn't too long."
Maria Sharapova took to the court for the final match of day two, the third seed's 6-3 6-4 victory over American Bethanie Mattek-Sands secured in cooler temperatures once the sun had set.
But fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska was made to sweat for her place in the second round.
The Pole, a quarterfinalist at Melbourne Park in each of the last three years, cruised through the first set before overcoming a fight back from Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva to win 6-0 5-7 6-2.
There were no such problems for world No. 8 Jelena Jankovic, with the Serb cruising to a 6-1 6-2 victory against Japan's Misaki Doi.
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