Rafael Nadal during his first-round match against Robert Kendrick in Melbourne on Tuesday. Nadal won 7-6 (8-6), 6-3, 6-2. (AFP)

Melbourne: A rash of errors and a broiling sun had top-seeded Maria Sharapova delusional, ailing and on the ropes at the Australian Open on Tuesday. But the Russian lived up to her reputation for fortitude, overcoming stomach cramps and an opponent who returned like a wall to advance to the second round.

Sharapova said the heat — 36°C (97°F) at midday and rising above 38°C (100°F) — was 10°C hotter on the court surface as she beat France’s Camille Pin 6-3, 4-6, 9-7.

“It’s inhumanly possible to play three hours in that kind of heat,” said Sharapova. “I was so delusional I couldn’t think.”

Sharapova said the thought of retiring never crossed her mind. “I’m not a quitter,” she said. “I’m not just going to stop because of the heat.”

The heat policy allows for 10-minute breaks between sets for matches already under way.

Eighth-seeded David Nalbandian grew stronger in the heat as Janko Tipsarevic wilted. He faltered while serving for the match, then retired with heat exhaustion with Nalbandian leading 6-7 (5-7), 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-0, 2-1.

Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean led Christophe Rochus 6-2, 4-1 when the Belgian retired because of breathing difficulties.

Playing indoors, second-seeded Rafael Nadal overcame American Robert Kendrick 7-6 (8-6), 6-3, 6-2, while women’s No. 4 Kim Clijsters downed Vasilisa Bardina 6-0, 6-0 in 44 minutes, and No. 6 Martina Hingis beat Nathalie Dechy of France 6-0, 6-2.

Fifth-seeded James Blake ousted Spain’s former world No. 1 Carlos Moya 7-6 (10-8), 6-2, 6-4.

Another former No. 1 had better luck. Nineteenth seed Lleyton Hewitt, showed his fighting spirit as he rallied to beat American qualifier Michael Russell 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.

Britain’s Andy Murray, seeded 15th, needed only 69 minutes for a 6-0, 6-0, 6-1 rout of Spain’s Alberto Martin, who avoided the embarrassment of a shutout by holding his last service game in the third. There never has been a triple bagel here in the Open era.

Third-seeded Nikolay Davydenko, on court once the heat policy was lifted after nearly eight hours, beat Argentina’s Sergio Roitman 6-2, 7-5, 6-2.

Then Pin ran off five straight games to tie it up. Sharapova held for 6-5, but appeared ready to get sick at any second, once stopping her service motion to grab her left hip and grimace.

Sharapova called for the trainer and squandered her third match point as Pin served in the next game. Then at 7-7, Sharapova found some inner reserve, running off the last eight points.

Robby Ginepri advanced in five sets over Spain’s Nicolas Almagro, seeded 32nd. Seeded men winning included No. 10 Fernando Gonzalez, No. 12 Tommy Haas, No. 13 Tomas Berdych, No. 17 Jarkko Nieminen, No. 21 Dmitry Tursunov and No. 31 Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland.

Winners on the women’s side included 12th-seeded Anna Chakvetadze, No. 13 Ana Ivanovic, No. 24 Samantha Stosur, No. 29 Alona Bondarenko and No. 30 Tathiana Garbin, while No. 32 Eleni Danilidou was ousted by Japan’s Aiko Nakamura. (AP)