MELBOURNE, Australia -- The scorching weather finally brought play to a halt on the fourth day of the Australian Open when the temperature topped 43F (109F), but not soon enough for some players who criticized officials for not stopping matches earlier. The Extreme Heat Policy was enacted at Melbourne Park just before 2 p.m. Thursday, suspending all matches on outer courts until the early evening and requiring the closure of the retractable roofs at Rod Laver and Hisense arenas before play could continue on the show courts. It was the first time since 2009 play had been halted due to heat at the Australian Open. For Maria Sharapova, playing at Rod Laver Arena, the call came too late. The rule dictates the roof cant be closed until the end of a set in progress, so she was forced to finish a grueling third set against Italian Karin Knapp under the blazing sun. "Everyone knows there is no tiebreaker in the third set (at the Australian Open), so once you start that set, youre going to be out there until youre done," she said after closing out the 3 1/2-hour match, 6-3, 4-6, 10-8. Other players wilted in the heat. American Varvara Lepchenko received medical treatment during her match against 11th-seeded Romanian Simona Halep, lying flat on her back during a changeover as trainers rubbed iced on her body. "At first I didnt understand what was going on but then my legs, my arms started to get heavier. I couldnt focus at one point and started feeling dizzier and dizzier," she said. She continued but only won one more game in a 4-6, 6-0, 6-1 defeat. "They definitely should have just not started the matches in the first place," she said. "And the same goes for a couple of days ago when I played my (first) match." The heat wave began Tuesday when the temperature peaked at 42C (108F). The tournament referee did not halt play then because the Extreme Heat Policy also takes into account other factors, such as humidity and wind speed. The distinction is lost on the players, who have grumbled all week about the conditions which some have described as inhumane and dangerous. On Tuesday, Canadian Frank Dancevic blacked out and hallucinated during his match, while Chinas Peng Shuai vomited and suffered cramps. No. 25-seeded Alize Cornet of France sobbed on court Thursday after her draining 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Italian Camila Giorgi, then blasted officials for not halting play sooner. "On Tuesday, I dont know why they didnt stop matches," she said. "It was an oven. An oven. It was burning. Why today and not Tuesday?" The heat hasnt just affected players -- its also kept fans away. Total attendance was just 49,860 on Wednesday, down from Mondays high of 63,595. The unshaded seats on the outer courts were virtually empty Thursday, with spectators congregating under trees or in the upper reaches of stands where temporary covers provided a little relief. New Zealander Helen Naylor escaped the sun after watching fellow Kiwi Marina Erakovic play for a bit on Court 13. "Even the seats are really hot -- God knows how (the players) are running around out there." Relief is as least in sight. Friday will be another scorcher, with an expected high of 44C (111F), but Saturday it will only reach 23C (73F). That may feel downright chilly by comparison. Marshawn Lynch Jersey . The 20-year-old Pelicans big man glanced up and smiled widely at the well-wishers -- a fitting end to a day he wont soon forget. Davis responded to his selection earlier in the day as a Western Conference All-Star with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-91 on Friday night. Seth Roberts Jersey .Y. -- Nothing seems to phase No. http://www.officialoaklandraidersfootball.com/authentic-jared-cook-jersey-womens .Steamboat Ski Resort contends Steamboat Springs, Colorado has long been known as Ski Town, U.S.A., and claims in a new lawsuit that Salt Lake tourism officials violated their trademark when they rolled out the Ski City marketing campaign last month. Johnny Townsend Jersey .C. -- The Carolina Panthers announced Thursday theyve signed free agent wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery to a two-year contract, helping rebuild a depleted wide receiving corps. Jack Tatum Jersey . "Last year didnt go the way we wanted it to, but we need to look at what went well and what didnt go so well. Hopefully this year we will be better," Brendan Gallagher said after practice. This year, the Canadiens have a little more depth to work with by adding players like Daniel Briere, Dale Weise, Mike Weaver, Douglas Murray and arguably, the biggest addition to this playoff roster, Thomas Vanek, who the Canadiens were able to land at the trade deadline.BEAVER CREEK, Colo. -- The new Beaver Creek downhill course features a gliding section near the start for a skier to drop into a tuck and build speed. There are technical turns in the middle, followed by a steep part -- maybe the steepest on the World Cup circuit -- and then a giant jump at the finish. An ideal course for Lindsey Vonn -- if she were here, of course. The four-time overall World Cup champion was supposed to make her return this week from a serious right knee injury she suffered in a crash last February. But after hurting her knee again in a training mishap last week, Vonn will sit out to rest and rehab because everything she does is with an eye toward the Sochi Games, which are less than three months away. Her fellow competitors spent the morning learning the nuances of a challenging course called "Raptor" in downhill training on Tuesday, with Lara Gut of Switzerland posting the fastest time of 1 minute, 43.42 seconds. No Vonn now, but there is a chance she could be in the starting gate on Dec. 6 in Lake Louise, Alberta, a venue thats treated her so well that its playfully dubbed "Lake Lindsey." At least, U.S. womens head coach Alex Hoedlmoser remains hopeful that Vonns ailing right knee will be ready for a return to racing in time for Lake Louise. "Its all going to be determined on how her knee feels," Hoedlmoser said in an interview with The Associated Press. "Its up to her. Shes the only one who knows how her knee feels." Hoedlmoser was there the day of Vonns crash at the speed centre in Copper Mountain last Tuesday, when she tumbled going from sunshine into the shade on a tricky part of the hill. Vonn partially tore one of the reconstructed ligaments in her surgically repaired knee. The reigning Olympic downhill champion will continue to go through therapy on her knee and hasnt ruled out Lake Louise. Her good friend and rival, Maria Hoefl-Riesch of Germany, visited with Vonn the other day just to lift her spirits. She fully expects to see Vonn back sooner rather than later. "Shes of course sad she cant be here," said Hoefl-Riesch, who turned in the eighth-fastest training time on Tuesday, 1.01 seconds behind Gut. "But she was positive because shes not out for the season and that she maybe can come back next week already. If anyybody is strong enough in the head, its her.dddddddddddd" This new course -- the site of the 2015 world championships -- appears well suited for Vonn given all the terrain changes. Heres some of the feedback on the hill from the fastest skiers on the circuit: -- "Its quick. A lot of switches are quick and a lot of technical turns -- intimidating sections. Its got a little bit of everything. Its pretty awesome," American Julia Mancuso said. -- "Its really cool. But its one of the hardest," said Austrias Anna Fenninger, who had the second-best overall time. -- "Its one of the most difficult downhills in the World Cup. I love it. Its great," Hoefl-Riesch said. -- "Every downhill in the world should be like that," Gut said. And yet the reigning World Cup downhill champion wasnt around to enjoy it. "I feel really sorry what happened to her," said Slovenias Tina Maze, who captured the overall crown last season by accumulating a record 2,414 points. "We all wish her all the best. You want healthy competitors." Especially one with the instant name recognition of Vonn, who just so happens to be dating golfer Tiger Woods as well. She was way ahead of schedule from the torn ACL she suffered during a high-speed crash at the world championships last February before wiping out again. "Lindsey for sure is very important for Alpine skiing," said Atle Skaardal, the womens race director for the International Ski Federation (FIS). "Thats very tough for everybody. These things happen. Its difficult to avoid. Its a sport where we have speed involved and, unfortunately, accidents happen even though we have a lot of different projects running to make the sport as safe as possible. Something can always happen." The timetable for Vonns return is completely up to her, Hoedlmoser said. Theres no rush for a return even with Sochi rapidly approaching. "Even if it comes down to that shes not going to be able to do much racing before (the Olympics), were for sure going to bring her to do training runs (in Sochi) and then decide from there," Hoedlmoser said. Possible for Vonn not to ski all season and still compete at a high level in Sochi? "Yes," Hoedlmoser said. "Because shes the best in the world." 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