• Heat and smoke from bushfires lessened by thunder and rain• World No103 claims
Roger Federer does not care about qualifiersLike farmers in a drought peering into an unforgiving sky, tennis turned to the heavens – and Roger Federer – to break the iron grip of heat and smoke choking the 2020
Australian Open into near paralysis. And their prayers were answered.
![Storm brings relief to Australian Open but cannot stop tempers flaring](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/cb210bbc3e31c8f9a1f675134913bee46b6bf568/0_348_5746_3448/master/5746.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=c426d3e42eba37d90355b420c201d500)
Until late Wednesday afternoon, the tournament was a slam without a dunk, sweating in limbo and hoping all would be well before the curtain goes up on Monday. The tournament, the city, the nation needed a miracle of sorts – and a thunderstorm rolled through town to blow their cares away. There is more on the way, maybe enough to put a smile on this tournament after days of worry and doubt.