Melbourne: Britain's Liam Broady Thursday lashed out at Australian Open officials for insisting qualifying take place this week despite toxic smoke from bushfires, telling fellow players: "We can't let this go." Air quality in Melbourne was among the worst on the planet on Tuesday and described as "hazardous" by city authorities following months of blazes that have devastated huge swathes of the country. It was recommended that people and their pets stay indoors, but qualifying for the opening Grand Slam of the year went ahead regardless.

Slovenian Dalila Jakupovic was forced to retire while leading in her match after a distressing coughing fit, saying she was "really scared that I would collapse". Other qualifiers also suffered, with world number 234 Broady taking to Twitter to claim "multiple" players needed asthma medication, despite never having suffered from the ailment before. "The more I think about the conditions we played in a few days ago the more it boils my blood," Broady wrote. He called an email from governing body the ATP and the Australian Open defending the decision to go ahead with qualifying matches "a slap in the face."