Sydney, Jan. 14 -- Thick bushfire smoke has delayed the first day of qualifiers at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on Tuesday, with the toxic smog deemed too hazardous for athletes to play in.

"Practice was temporarily suspended this morning due to poor air quality," Tennis Australia said in a statement. "As always the health and safety of our players, our staff and our fans is our priority."While qualifying matches are now set to get underway at 11 am (local time), Tennis Australia added that conditions onsite are constantly being monitored and that any further decisions will be made using onsite data in close consultation with medical specialists, the Bureau of Meteorology and scientists from Environmental Protection...