Australian Open 2018 TV Schedule: Day-by-Day Listings for Entire Tournament

The likes of Serena Williams and Andy Murray will be absent from the Australian Open this year, but the first Grand Slam of 2018 should nevertheless prove to be a thrilling fortnight of tennis.

The action in Melbourne will run from Monday, January 15 through to Sunday, January 28.

In the UK, Eurosport will be providing full coverage of the tournament, while viewers in the U.S. can catch the action on ESPN and the Tennis Channel.

The Open can also be streamed live via Eurosport Player, WatchESPN and Tennis Channel Everywhere.

Here is the complete schedule for the competition:

Monday, Jan. 15: 1st round, 12:55 a.m. GMT on Eurosport, 7 p.m. ET Sunday on ESPN2

Tuesday, Jan. 16: 1st round, 12 a.m. GMT on Eurosport, 7 p.m. ET Monday on Tennis Channel, 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2

Wednesday, Jan. 17: 2nd round, 12 a.m. GMT on Eurosport, 7 p.m. ET Tuesday on Tennis Channel, 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2

Thursday, Jan. 18: 2nd round, 12 a.m. GMT on Eurosport, 7 p.m. ET Wednesday on Tennis Channel, 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2

Friday, Jan. 19: 3rd round, 12 a.m. GMT on Eurosport, 7 p.m. ET Thursday on Tennis Channel, 11 p.m. ET on ESPN2

Saturday, Jan. 20: 3rd round, 12 a.m. GMT on Eurosport, 7 p.m. ET Friday on Tennis Channel, 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2

Sunday, Jan. 21: Round of 16, 12 a.m. GMT on Eurosport, 7 p.m. ET Saturday on Tennis Channel, 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2

Monday, Jan. 22: Round of 16, 12 a.m. GMT on Eurosport, 7 p.m. ET Sunday on Tennis Channel, 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2

Tuesday, Jan. 23: Quarter-finals, 12 a.m. GMT on Eurosport, 7 p.m. ET Monday on Tennis Channel, 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2

Wednesday, Jan. 24: Quarter-finals, 12 a.m. GMT on Eurosport, 7 p.m. ET Tuesday on Tennis Channel, 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2

Thursday, Jan. 25: Semi-finals, 2:30 a.m. GMT on Eurosport, 7 p.m. ET Wednesday on Tennis Channel, 10 p.m. ET, 3:30 a.m on ESPN2

Friday, Jan. 26: Semi-final, 8:30 a.m. GMT on Eurosport, 11 p.m. ET Thursday on Tennis Channel, 3:30 a.m. ET on ESPN

Saturday, Jan. 27: Women's singles final, 8:30 a.m. GMT on Eurosport, 9 p.m. ET Friday on Tennis Channel, 3:30 a.m. ET on ESPN

Sunday, Jan. 28: Men's singles final, 8:30 a.m. GMT on Eurosport, 12 a.m. ET on Tennis Channel, 3:30 a.m. ET on ESPN

Roger Federer will be pursuing his 20th Grand Slam victory as he looks to defend his title after winning in Melbourne last year.

Having won just one title since 2010, Federer enjoyed a sensational renaissance in 2017, winning not only the Australian Open but Wimbledon, too.

Eurosport UK analysed one of the keys to his renewed success:

It's a tactic we may well see employed in Melbourne, as he'll need to conserve energy for the later rounds, not only because he's now 36 but also because he has been handed a tricky draw, per Tennis TV:

If the Swiss maestro is to reach the final again this year—where he could be set for a rematch of last year's against Rafael Nadal—he'll have to beat some top talent.

Nevertheless, if he plays as well as he did throughout the tournament in 2017, he'll give himself an excellent chance.

Williams' absence will ensure an open draw on the women's side, and former world No. 1 Angelique Kerber will have her eyes trained on the title.

The German won here during her sensational 2016 season, in which she also won the U.S. Open and reached the Wimbledon final, but last year she struggled to replicate that success and failed to make it past the fourth round of any major.

Kerber has looked in fine fettle in 2018, though, per tennis writers Tumaini Carayol and Ben Rothenberg:

Her tumble down the rankings in 2017 has left her on the same side of the draw as world No. 1 Simona Halep and Garbine Muguruza among others, and she could also face the unseeded Maria Sharapova in the third round.

Kerber has proven herself exceptionally difficult to beat when on form, though, so if she can maintain her momentum heading into the tournament, she'll have a strong chance of winning.