During the Night Session on Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia last Tuesday night, Bernard Tomic was forced to retire in his First Round match against Rafael Nadal. It was a lackluster end to a drama filled day. Court temperatures in Melbourne reached 140 degrees Fahrenheit, so players were cooking on the court. Australia is renowned from its blisteringly steamy conditions, but 140? Almost unbearable. This temperature variable made play even more enthralling to watch. Anyone who can win in these temperatures, or even just finish their match, deserves a badge for their fighting spirit.

That’s what makes five set comebacks by giants like Kevin Anderson and Jerzy Janowics all the more impressive. And how about the Canadian Fran Dancevic, who literally fainted right on court, and still continued competing; only to lose to 27th seeded Benoit Paire? Other five set thrillers include Gilles Simon win against Daniel Brand 16-14 in the fifth, Tommy Robredo hanging on against the fiery Lukas Rosol, and Andreas Seppi’s holding off against Lleyton Hewitt.

The Seppi and Hewitt match was perhaps the best of the tournament. Seppi was up a couple of sets and a break, only to see his lead disappear due to Leyon’s legendary resilience. In a heated fifth set, Seppi staved off a match point and closed out the marathon 7-5 in over fours.

There have been no major upsets on the Men’s side; however Americans have not fared well. The top American, John Isner, had to retire in his match against, leaving Sam Querrey as the highest American left. It wasn’t a complete whitewash though. Rhyne Williams showcased his powerful skillset, pushing fifth ranked Juan Marin Del Potro to four sets. An exciting first couple of days leaves tennis fans’ mouths watering for the upcoming matches. The Open ends this weekend, January 26th, so try to catch those final dynamic matches before the chance is gone.