There were also troubling scenes when Slovenian Dalila Jakupovic collapsed to the court due to a coughing fit. Jakupovic, ranked No. 180 in the world, was forced to retire from the match which had gone for just shy of two hours.
Davila Jakupovic retires after suffering a horrendous coughing fit and breathing difficulties in the heavy, polluted air in Melbourne. Awful scenes pic.twitter.com/EPQUlf9DpF
The Slovenian put the onus on Australian Open officials, saying the conditions weren't right for matches to go ahead.
"I think it was not fair because it's not healthy for us," she said.
"I was surprised. I thought we would not be playing today but we really don't have much choice.
"If they don't put us on the court, maybe we get fined — I don't know.
"It would be maybe better to see if tomorrow is better. They still have time.
"It was really bad. I never experienced something like this and I was really scared. I was scared that I would collapse. That's why I went on the floor. Because I couldn't walk any more. When I was on the ground it was easier to get some air."
There are going to be good days and bad days with the air #AusOpen as the wind changes direction.
This was clearly a bad day, and they almost certainly should not have played.
Beyond players coughing or struggling to breathe in the moment, who knows what long term effects are?
Several high-profile players vented their frustration after seeing fellow players suffering, including former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova and Eugenie Bouchard, who were in action on Tuesday.
Belgian player Steve Darcis delivered his own clip after the matches went ahead despite warnings from the Environmental Protection Authority telling Victorians to remain indoors.
Tennis Australia says it will continue to work with their medical team, the Bureau of Meteorology and Environment Protection Authority Victoria scientists when making decisions about whether it's safe to play.
TA says it has installed measuring devices on-site for air quality, with play cleared to continue during the opening round of qualifying.
