The games were scheduled to start at 1000 am local time (2300 GMT) but did not get underway until about 1130 after Victoria state's environment watchdog said air quality had plunged to "hazardous" levels overnight.
Djokovic's family said his release was the 'biggest victory of his life'.
The Australian government cancelled Novak Djokovic's visa for a second time on Friday, saying the World No 1, unvaccinated for COVID-19, may pose a risk to the community.
Images from the action on Day 2 at the Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic blamed "human error" on Wednesday for a mistake in his Australian immigration paperwork and apologised for breaking isolation for a photoshoot when he had COVID-19 last month.
Time is running out for Serena to reach the career milestone that has become one of the sport's longest running storylines.
Roger Federer is keeping a lid on expectations.
Images from Day 10 of the 2022 Australian Open in Melbourne on Wednesday.
A look at the 10 landmark matches from the 20-times Grand Slam champion's career.
World number one Rafael Nadal, who is struggling to get any match practice before the Australian Open, will play an exhibition event at Melbourne Park in the week leading up to the season opening Grand Slam, organisers said on Monday.
Novak Djokovic beat Casper Ruud in the French Open final to win a men's record-extending 23rd Grand Slam title.
Retired Australian Open champion Li Na told the centre court crowd at Melbourne Park on Monday that she was expecting her first child with her husband and former coach Jiang Shan.
Murray has struggled to regain form since undergoing hip surgery last January, and was quickly dismantled by the six-time Australian Open champion at Margaret Court Arena before the players called time on their match after less than an hour.
Rafael Nadal shrugged off his derailed bid for the Grand Slam record with a pledge to keep "fighting" but the Spaniard leaves the Australian Open with familiar regrets after bowing out to a rising talent on Wednesday.
Defending champion and world number one Novak Djokovic won his third-straight Australian Open crown, his ninth in total.
The Serbian champion said he hoped the focus would now return to tennis
'We're absolutely confident the Australian Open will go ahead'
Serena Williams showed glimpses of what lies in store for rivals this season
It has been 24 days since Victoria reported a locally acquired COVID-19 infection, while Australia as a whole posted a 13th straight day without a community case on Saturday.
Images from all the action on Day 9 of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Tuesday
Like a stern headmaster, a clearly irritated Rafael Nadal beckoned Lorenzo Sonego to the net and gave him an earful about the etiquette of tennis in front of 15,000 wide-eyed fans and a global audience of millions.
Organisers of this year's US and French Opens established bio-secure 'bubbles' for players, who were not allowed to leave their hotel rooms except to train and play.
A prodigious yet polarising talent, former quarter-finalist Nick Kyrgios suffered his earliest exit from Melbourne Park.
New coach Rainer Schuettler's experience as a former player at the top level has been invaluable for Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber and the world number two believes her poor end to last season is truly behind her.
American Rajeev Ram picked up his first tennis men's doubles title at a Grand Slam on Sunday with partner Joe Salisbury of Britain, taming the local wild card pairing of Max Purcell and Luke Saville in straight sets at the Australian Open
Kyrgios and Kokkinakis, nicknamed the 'Special Ks' as juniors, claimed their first major title
Henri Kontinen and John Peers stunned the Bryan twins 7-5, 7-5 to win the Australian Open men's double title at MelbournePark on Saturday.
Nadal fought from two sets down to defeat Medvedev in a five-set thriller at Rod Laver Arena.
Halep reached the Melbourne title match in 2018 but lost a three-set thriller to Caroline Wozniacki. It was the Romanian's third defeat in three Grand Slam finals.
The former world number one was especially proud of the way she has managed to mould her mindset to deal with tough losses.
Novak Djokovic will spend at least the next 72 hours in a Melbourne hotel before the next hearing in his fight to overturn a ban on entering Australia is held on Monday.
It was the first Grand Slam triumph for Polasek, 35, who came out of retirement in 2018
Federer is tied with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in the race to be the most successful men's singles Grand Slam champion of all time and Australian Open organisers would have been hoping to have all three at Melbourne Park.
Finally clinching an elusive Australian Open crown is Andy Murray's number one goal for the new year but the Briton concedes that his hopes of success at Melbourne Park may rest on champion Novak Djokovic having an off-day.
Serena confirmed her entry to the tournament she won for a seventh time on her last appearance in 2017.
Novak Djokovic endured a fierce challenge to his Melbourne Park reign before overhauling Dominic Thiem 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday to clinch an eighth Australian Open crown and reclaim the world number one ranking. He captured the decisive break in the third game of the final set, then held firm as Thiem made desperate assaults on his serve. Going for broke in a nerve-shredding final game, the fifth seeded Austrian went for the lines but missed twice to hand Djokovic one of his most hard-earnt triumphs.
Halep, who held the WTA year-end top ranking in 2017 and 2018, has not lost a set in her first week at Melbourne Park and was aggressive against Putintseva from the outset.
Garbine Muguruza outclassed former finalist Simona Halep in straight sets to enter the final of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Thursday. Meanwhile, Sofia Kenin sent world number one Ash Barty spinning out of the Melbourne Park semi-finals 7-6, 7-5 on Thursday, crushing Australian hopes of a first home-grown champion at the Grand Slam in 42 years. The 21-year-old Kenin showed her frustration at times, throwing her racquet on court, but managed to hang in and saved three breakpoints to hold for 3-3 and eventually force a tiebreaker.
Serena Williams weathered an early challenge from Russian Vera Zvonareva before the former World No 2 crumbled to lose 7-5, 6-0 in the second round of the Australian Open on Thursday.
Novak Djokovic, who has won a record nine titles at Melbourne Park including the last three, has repeatedly declined to reveal whether he has been vaccinated against COVID-19, with Australian Open organisers Tennis Australia confirming that all players would have to be vaccinated to compete in Melbourne.
