Heat is turned up on Watson

HEATHER WATSON endured scorching on-court temperatures approaching a staggering 122 Fahrenheit (50C) to reach tomorrow's quarter-finals of the 2009 Australian Open junior girls singles at Melbourne Park.

The brave Sarnian star overcame Japan's Miyabi Inoue, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4, after playing two-and-a-half hours in intense humidity.

Under the Australian Open's new extreme-heat policy, matches can be suspended only after the set being played is completed, but Tennis Australia did not make a decision to stop play on the outside courts until the final set of Watson's match was already under way.

Left with no choice but to play on, Watson broke Inoue's stubborn serve in the 10th game of the set to seal a quarter-final showdown with Russian Ksenia Pervak, seeded three, tomorrow morning.

'I've never experienced conditions like that before,' Watson said.

'It was so hot that I could feel the heat coming through from the court to the soles of my feet, even though I was wearing my tennis shoes.'