Venus Williams insisted her bid for a first Australian Open title remained on track despite a shaky second-round win against Frenchwoman Camille Pin.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN contenders Maria Sharapova, David Nalbandian and James Blake called for a review of the tournament’s extreme heat policy after battling soaring temperatures to reach the second round.

Number one seed Maria Sharapova reached the second round of the Australian Open after battling through “one of the toughest matches I’ve played here”.

A young man accused of the double murder of two friends whose burnt remains were found in Dublin in March 2001 told a witness he had lost £1,000 playing 'Blackjack' in an amusement arcade in the city.