Novak Djokovic celebrates makes a winning return to the Australian Open, a year on from his deportation ©Getty Images

Novak Djokovic made a winning return to the Australian Open, a year on from his infamous deportation, on a day where extreme heat and rain disrupted play on the outside courts.

The Serbian made a winning return at Melbourne Park in the night session on Rod Laver Arena, receiving a positive reception as he entered the show court for his match against Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena.

Carballes Baena battled hard, particularly in the first set, but Djokovic’s quality shone through, as the nine-time Australian Open men’s singles champion ran out a 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 win.

Men’s second seed Casper Ruud of Norway was also a victor, needing four sets to get past Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic, winning 6-3, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, in a match that finished at 1.15am local time.

Britain’s Sir Andy Murray triumphed in a marathon encounter on Rod Laver Arena, needing five sets to get past the 13th seed Matteo Berrettini of Italy.

Sir Andy won the opening two sets 6-3, before Berrettini took the next two 6-4 and 7-6.

In the decider, a missed backhand shot on match point proved crucial for Berrettini, with Sir Andy opening up a big advantage in the match-deciding tie-break before winning in just under five hours.

Extreme heat and heavy rain disrupted play on the outside courts on day two of the Australian Open in Melbourne ©Getty Images
Extreme heat and heavy rain disrupted play on the outside courts on day two of the Australian Open in Melbourne ©Getty Images

Elsewhere in the men’s draw another eagerly-anticipated contest saw fifth seed Andrey Rublev, playing as a neutral, defeat Austria’s Dominic Thiem, the 2020 US Open champion, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

Germany’s Alexander Zverev, who was runner-up to Thiem in the 2020 final, needed five sets to defeat lucky loser Juan Pablo Varillas of Peru, with the 12th seed a 4-6, 6-1, 5-7, 7-6, 6-4 winner.

In the women’s singles draw, second seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia was a three-set winner in the opening night session match on Rod Laver Arena, defeating Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia 7-6, 4-6, 6-1.

It proved plain sailing for the other two players seeded in the top ten, with fourth seed Caroline Garcia of France dropping just three games in defeating Canadian qualifier Katherine Sebov 6-3, 6-0.

Elsewhere fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka, playing as a neutral, ran out a comfortable 6-1, 6-4 winner over Tereza Martincova of the Czech Republic.

The second day was also impacted by the weather, with play stopped for more than three hours on uncovered courts during the day, due to the tournament’s Heat Stress Scale reaching its highest point of level five, and temperatures around 35C.

Less than three hours after the resumption, rain again brought a halt to proceedings on uncovered courts, with 15 first-round singles matches yet to begin and 12 not completed due to the weather.