US Open Tennis 2015: TV Schedule, Picks for Monday Afternoon Draw

Big names are in action during the afternoon draw on the opening day of the 2015 U.S. Open. Most notably, the top seed in the nen's event, Novak Djokovic, will play at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Other notable players in action include Ana Ivanovic, the seventh seed in the women's bracket, and Venus Williams, who will take the court before her No. 1-ranked sister garners the attention in the night session.

Meanwhile, Djokovic may have a keen interest in how fourth seed Kei Nishikori gets on, while mercurial Frenchman Gael Monfils is always entertaining.

For a look at the full draw for Monday's day session, visit ESPN.com.

Here are the viewing details for the opening day's afternoon draw:

U.S. Coverage

Stage	Time (ET)	TV	Stream
First Round	11 a.m. - 11 p.m.	ESPN 3	Watch ESPN
First Round	1 p.m. - 6 p.m.	ESPN	Watch ESPN
First Round	6 p.m. - 11 p.m.	ESPN 2	Watch ESPN

UK Coverage

Live coverage in the UK will begin at 4 p.m. BST on Sky Sports 1. Streaming available on Sky Go.

Djokovic Will Get Off to a Winning Start

You have to have more than a little sympathy for Joao Souza. The unseeded Brazilian will bear the brunt of the world No. 1's frustration.

John Minchillo/Associated Press

Djokovic will still be smarting after losing to Andy Murray in Montreal then getting beat in the final of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati by Roger Federer earlier in August. It's far from ideal preparation for Djokovic.

Yet there are still those who believe the Serb will take some beating in New York City. ESPN's Greg Garber discussed how losing to Stanislas Wawrinka in the French Open final at Roland Garros has diminished the hype heading into Flushing Meadows.

What should concern Djokovic, though, is his worrying record at this tournament. Garber dubs it the Serb's "most disappointing Slam." Garber details some of the low points Djokovic has experienced:

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At the U.S. Open hard courts, a surface on which he thrives, Djokovic has reached five finals -- and won only once. He has been beaten at that final stage twice by Nadal and once each by Federer and Murray.

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The history with Nadal will likely stick in Djokovic's mind. If he reaches the quarter-final stage this year, and he certainly should, the draw could put him against the powerful Spaniard, per ESPN's Peter Bodo.

David Vincent/Associated Press

An angry Djokovic, determined to make amends for recent failures, will do his part to make that marquee last-eight meeting reality by schooling Souza during a comfortable win.

Monfils Will Make it Through in Style

It's usually a good bet you'll see something a little different when Gael Monfils is on court. He just has a penchant for the spectacular.

CNN's Ravi Ubha and Ursin Caderas dub him "tennis' great entertainer." Now 28, Monfils has plenty of motivation to deliver something truly memorable at Flushing Meadows.

Ubha and Caderas note how one of the sports' most physically extravagant players has to improve his Grand Slam record: "his best pro performance is making the last four of the 2008 French Open."

They state the feeling exists that Monfils' desire to wow the crowds often gets him into trouble and needlessly extends matches into wear-down battles of attrition.

He can't make either of those mistakes against Ukrainian Illya Marchenko. Instead, Monfils needs to begin his tournament the right way.

Monfils is incredibly tough to predict. At his best, he's a match for the best who've ever played the sport, just like he was when he sent Roger Federer packing in this year's Monte Carlo Masters. But if inspiration doesn't strike, he's just as likely to be bounced out in the first round the way he was in Cincinnati.

Monfils simply needs to let his talent show and make easy work of the first round at this Open. Expect him to do just that, even if he probably still won't be able to resist winning a few style points from the Big Apple crowd.

Venus Williams Can Get Past Tricky First Draw

Few will bet against Serena winning it all in New York City. But for her sister, the challenge is going to be just getting out of the first round.

As Bodo notes in his analysis of the women's draw, Venus has her first match against Puerto Rico's Monica Puig. It's the first part of a potentially very tricky draw for the elder Williams sister.

David Kohl/Associated Press

But while she's not the force she was, the 35-year-old can still produce some excellent tennis. Of course, she also hasn't won this tournament since way back in 2001, according to USA Today's Ava Wallace.

Still, Wallace also notes how Venus is certainly no stranger to producing big wins on a hard-court surface, including getting the better of her decorated sister: "A win for Venus on hardcourt isn’t so improbable. The last time she defeated Serena was last year in Montreal during the U.S. Open Series."

Few players in this bracket can match the 23rd seed's experience and know-how. It would be foolish to easily dismiss this Williams sister's chances. Venus will make that clear by advancing past Puig with less than anticipated fuss.

The opening day's play will see most of the big names progress, particularly during the day session. But it's these three names that should garner most of the attention before Serena, Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal take to the courts.