*Alcaraz avoids shock defeat to Italian Veteran

* Sabalenka in flying start

Players, ground staff and spectators had to contend with sweltering conditions as Wimbledon recorded its hottest opening day on record.

Air temperature on the grounds had reached 32.3C by 16:00 BST on Monday, surpassing the previous record at the start of a Championships – the 29.3C set in 2001.

However, the tournament’s extreme heat rule, which allows players a 10-minute break, has not yet been enforced because Wimbledon measures additional factors to determine heat stress.

Players were given ice packs, cold towels and plenty of water to help regulate their temperature during changeovers.

The ball boys and girls were also given cooling scarves, while spectators attempted to shade themselves with hats, umbrellas and even towels, and others cooled themselves with hand-held fans.

The hottest temperature ever recorded during the tournament remains the 35.7C reached in 2015.

Temperatures are again forecast to return to the mid-30s on Tuesday.

Wimbledon organisers use the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) heat index, which combines air temperature, humidity and surface temperature readings, to determine when the heat rule should be enforced.

The 10-minute breaks are allowed after the second set for all best-of-three set matches, and after the third for all best-of-five set matches, with players permitted to leave the court during the interval.

Meanwhile, two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz avoided a seismic shock against Italian veteran Fabio Fognini in the Wimbledon first round to set up a meeting with British qualifier Oliver Tarvet.

Alcaraz dug deep to win 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 2-6 6-1 as he opened the Centre Court play on a sweltering first day of the grass-court Grand Slam tournament.

The 22-year-old Spaniard quickly secured victory when an entertaining contest resumed after a 15-minute pause in the deciding set.

In the women’s section, world number one, Aryna Sabalenka, celebrated her Wimbledon return with victory in the first round but two-time runner-up Ons Jabeur retired after struggling physically on the tournament’s hottest ever opening day.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka, who missed last year’s tournament with a shoulder injury, got off to a flying start on Court One before a more testing second set as she beat Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine 6-1 7-5.