Maria Sharapova, was barely able to hang on to her game due to the blistering heat in Melbourne during her 3rd round play at the Australian Open. Her match against Alize Cornet was the hottest and longest match in her career, reports AP.

Match organizers postponed her 2nd round match due to the heat, while Sharapova was serving in the third set, 5 games to 4 against Karin Knapp.

Four-time winner, Sharapova served 2 h 38 m into the second round match against No. 44 Karin Knapp on Thursday. It took another 50 minutes before Sharapova

turn her fourth match point to a tiresome win with 6-3, 4-6, 10-8.

Sharapova's match ended nearly seven degrees higher in the third straight day of a heat wave in Melbourne. The match clocked in as the longest match for women in the tournament at 3 hours and 28 minutes. But her 3rd round win against Alize Cornet 6-1,7-6 Saturday were more of a test in temperatures as high as 108F..

Sharapova said,"I wanted this match," in an online report.

She added, "I didn't play my best tennis; I didn't do many things well ... (but) I got through it, and sometimes that's what's important."

"When you win match point you get off the court, no matter how you feel and how tough it was ... I love these moments."

The problems with the weather at the Australian Open was not just during daytime but lightning suspended play at night.

Sharapova, who was once the favourite in Grand Slam Championships, lost three match points when the heat was at its height. Later, she had to save breakpoints to survive.

Seven games later, she turned the game around but it was no easy task, hitting 34 winners against 67 unforced errors.

The problems with weather didn't end after the temperatures subsided slightly - night play was suspended on more than a dozen courts because of lightning.