Sydney’s Jordan Thompson has overcome severe cramping to claim a wildcard entry into the Australian Open tennis championships, winning a gruelling five-set play-off final in sweltering conditions at Melbourne Park.

Thompson, 20, battled second seed John-Patrick Smith for over four hours with both players cramping repeatedly in the fifth set before Thompson sealed entry into the main draw of January’s grand slam event with a 6-1 6-3 1-6 6-7 (2) 9-7 win.

With temperatures in Melbourne hovering around 32 degrees Celsius, the match became a battle of attrition.

Thompson collapsed on the baseline in agony late in the fifth set as he cramped badly, with Smith already having received treatment for cramps in his chair.

Thompson will compete in his second Australian Open in succession after taking out back-to-back wildcard play-off wins.

Earlier former Russian Daria Gavrilova, 20, also secured entry to the Australian Open main draw when she beat fourth seed Arina Rodionova in straight sets in the final of the women’s play-off.

Gavrilova, the third seed, knocked out top seed Olivia Rogowska at the semi-final stage and didn’t lose a set for the whole tournament.

She will play in her second Australian Open in January, but she will compete as an Australian for the first time.

The right-hander was recovering from a knee reconstruction during the last Australian Open and was delighted to have won through to the main draw this time.

“Last time I watched and really wished that I was playing,” Gavrilova said.

“I thought ‘Why did this happen to me?’

“I thought about that during this match and told myself to keep fighting.”

Gavrilova lost her serve in the opening game but fought back to win the first set 6-4 before closing out the match 6-2 in the second.