Victoria Azarenka: 'Heat was tricky to adjust to'

Victoria Azarenka has admitted that she found it tricky to adapt to the searing heat during her opening match at the Australian Open.

The world number two opted to head back to the practice court with temperatures tipping 40 Celsius (104F) at Melbourne Park, following her 7-6 6-2 victory over Sweden's Johanna Larsson, in order to get used to the conditions.

"I mean, it's not easy, those conditions. You can't escape those. It's pretty hot out there," Azarenka told reporters after her practice session. "I think the ball with the conditions bounces a lot different and a lot higher, which suited her.

"It took me a little bit of time to just adapt and find my range and find my hitting zone. Sometimes it can be tricky, you know, to just find your range, as it was today a little bit."

Azarenka is in search of a third consecutive Australian Open title.