Sawt Falasteen - Auger-Aliassime retires in Melbourne heat with cramp

In temperatures of about 30C in Melbourne, tearful compatriot Marina Stakusic also retired with cramp after collapsing to the court and being placed in a wheelchair.

The seventh seed Auger Aliassime, a Melbourne quarter-finalist in 2022, won the opening set 6-3 against Nuno Borges but then lost the next two 6-4, 6-4 before calling time.

The 25-year-old, who had appeared bothered by his left leg, walked gingerly to the net to shake hands with his Portuguese opponent and said afterwards that cramp was to blame.

The problem began at the start of the third set, he said.

"I can't recall (cramping) ever in my life this early in a tournament, this early in a match," he said.

He was not sure if the hot weather was to blame, but said it was impossible to continue.

"I don't like to be on the court that way. I want to be on the court winning," said Auger-Aliassime, who has won eight ATP titles.

"I want to be on the court competing with my opponent. I don't want to be just standing there like a punching bag."

Borges faces Australian wildcard Jordan Thompson next.

The 46th-ranked Portuguese sympathised with the Canadian.

"It is part of tennis and it's a long schedule and physically it's demanding, so I can understand," he said.

The 21-year-old Stakusic was unable to carry on as she faced defeat against home player Priscilla Hon.

In distressing scenes, Stakusic was wheeled off court in agony.

"It can be the heat, it can be the stress," she said of why she thought she too had suffered cramp.

Stakusic, who had come through qualifying to make the main draw, said: "I've never had this before, it was super-painful."

W.AbuLaban--SF-PST