Top seeds move up before the storms

Wild weather wreaked havoc on the Sydney International on Wednesday, leaving some of the top Australian Open hopefuls battling their way through stifling heat, gale-force winds and an electrical storm.

Most of the top players, including last year’s Australian Open finalist Marat Safin, survived the scorching temperatures that soared as high 45 degrees Celcius but the storms that followed claimed some big-name victims.

World No 10 Andy Roddick was sent packing 7-6, 7-5 by Korean qualifier Lee Hyung-taik after the 100kph gusts turned their match into a farce. Bulgaria’s Magdaleena Maleeva, the women’s eighth seed,