Mark Woodforde
12-time Grand Slam doubles champion on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra at Melbourne Park

It's always going to be key for Edmund to push Anderson off that baseline. Anderson came back on the court with lots of pop in his legs after the rain but it has certainly disappeared.

That Kevin Anderson first serve nearly ripped the net from its poles.

The second drops in, but Kyle Edmund capitalises and forces Anderson into the mistake.

Two break point opportunities...

Anderson clips a drop shot just over the net, Edmund scoops it up, but the South African hammers home on the volley.

How about the next one? Anderson can't get to grips with the Edmund return - he breaks!

This is better from Kyle Edmund. He was slow to get going after the rain delay, but gets Kevin Anderson galloping across court and forces the South African to go long.

Edmund follows up with a thumping forehand to go 0-30 up, before Anderson claws a point back.

David Law
Radio 5 live sports extra commentator at Melbourne Park

I think Edmund will be really disappointed with how he responded to that rain delay. Two missed first serves and he did let that set slip a little.

Kevin Anderson looks for the same spot that worked for him on the last point, but drags his backhand well wide.

Kyle Edmund pounces on that with another fiery serve to move to 40-15, and Anderson can only bat the following attempt into the bottom of the net.

A good start to set four for Kyle Edmund.

He pitches a backhand down the centre of the court, but it's behind the run of Kevin Anderson and wrongfoots the South African.

Anderson responds with a typically punchy backhand that just catches the inside line.

An Anderson forehand goes long - a chance for Edmund to salvage something?

No, the British number two pops his return long and the second set goes to Kevin Anderson.

The South African leads 2-1.

A big test for Kyle Edmund here then, but Kevin Anderson races into a 30-0 lead.

The South African is looking cool, calculated and absolutely ruthless.

His 18th ace of the match tees up three set points.

Kyle Edmund gets his service game back under way at the second attempt, but Kevin Anderson is straight on the attack and has another break point.

Anderson scuffs a return backhand to the corner and it's awkward for Edmund, he can't find the target and Anderson will serve for the third set.

A quick re-warm up for the players.

Just to set the scene, that rain delay came in the middle of a fascinatingly poised service game for Kyle Edmund.

The British number two had saved three break points, and when we resume it will be from deuce.

The cloths are out, and the ball boys and girls are being utilised to dry the lines...

And I think, fingers crossed, we're about to get back under way.

Piers Newbery
BBC Sport at Melbourne Park

Image source, BBC Sport

“Come on, get it going!” shouts one desperate fan but the action has come to a halt on court three as a large bank of black clouds slides across Melbourne. Anderson quizzes the umpire about how long the break will last before getting out of his chair for a few stretches, while Edmund mooches around under his covered seat. All eyes on the sky...

Image source, Getty Images

The rain has halted play across Melbourne Park, with the Venus Williams-Belinda Bencic match on Rod Laver Arena delicately poised.

The 20-year-old Swiss leads the American 4-3 with a break in the opening set and it's deuce on the Bencic serve.

Kyle Edmund and Kevin Anderson are still out on court - the rain isn't too heavy, but it's enough to delay play for the moment.

Anderson has a jacket on, Edmund is toughing it out.

Let's hope the rain clears quickly...

Mark Woodforde
12-time Grand Slam doubles champion on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra at Melbourne Park

This is the beauty of the Australian Open in Melbourne, the four seasons that can come.

It's a pivotal moment in the third set - deuce on the Kyle Edmund serve after the British number two saved three break points - but we've got some rain

The players have sat back down... play is suspended.

Deuce. Kevin Anderson watches that one all the way, almost trying to pull it back in his mind.

That's another double fault from Kyle Edmund, a second break point chance for Anderson, but the British number two follows up with a strong serve to save.

Wow! What a return from Anderson, it just clips the line and he has ANOTHER break point chance.

But Edmund whips down an ace... phew, try and catch your breath in this one.

Ooo. That's loose from Kyle Edmund. The forehand winner down the line looked to be on, but he catches the tramlines instead.

Edmund is drawn into a backhand slice exchange, before the ball clips the net - but Edmund gets it all wrong and it's long.

A break point chance for Anderson.

Kevin Anderson is getting a bit of treatment. Looks like he took a tablet or two - feeling a bit of pain somewhere?

He doesn't appear to be struggling, mind. Picking up a backhand volley from below the net line and curling it beyond Kyle Edmund to go 0-15 up.

Anderson then pops a forehand wide and follows up with another that goes long. 30-15.

Image source, Reuters

Sloane Stephens is a goner - that's eight defeats in a row since she won the US Open in September.

China's Zhang Shuai, 28, has beaten the 24-year-old American 2-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 on Margaret Court Arena.

That's the first shock of this year's Australian Open, but perhaps not as big a shock as it should have been given the 13th seed's woeful form.