US Open Tennis 2012 Schedule: Day 3 TV Coverage, Matches and Bracket Guide

Richard LangfordAug 29, 2012

Third-seeded Andy Murray and women's No. 1 seed Victoria Azarenka will both hit the hardcourt of Flushing Meadows while the intensity of the 2012 U.S. Open takes its first jump as we leap into the second round in Day 3 of play.

Murray will play Ivan Dodig and Azarenka will battle Kirsten Flipkens in matches they should both cruise in. If either is challenged, the perception of their title hopes will plummet.

Those two stars are not the most compelling reasons to tune in for the day, though. Those matches will be highlighted below along with the full schedule of play for Day 3.

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Viewing Guide

*All times ET

Tennis Channel: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

ESPN2: 1 p.m.-11 p.m.

ESPN3:Live Streaming

Full Tournament TV schedule here.

Bracket Guide

The USOpen.org provides a complete look at the men's draw and women's draw.

Day's Best

John Isner (9) vs. Xavier Malisse

John Isner is the USA's most legitimate shot at making a run at the title. To keep those hopes alive he will have to advance past a tough second-round matchup.

Xavier Malisse is leading this head-to-head matchup 2-1. These two are evenly matched. Richard Pagliaro of Tennis.com points out that in the eight sets they have played, six of them have been decided in tiebreakers.

As is always the case with Isner, his serve is going to be key. If Isner's serve is on, Malisse will not be able to break him. However, Isner's return game will make it tough for him to buy a break.

There are more tiebreakers in the near future for these twos.

Laura Robson vs. Kim Clijsters (23)

Three-time U.S. Open champ Kim Clijsters is a must-see every time she takes the court, as she is just one loss away from never playing again on the courts that were home to her greatest successes in her career.

Make no mistake about it, though; this isn't just a token farewell tour. When healthy, Clijsters can still beat the best on hardcourt. She was solid in her opener with a 6-3 7-6 (8-6) victory over American Victoria Duval.

Clijsters, 29, will face a stiff test against up-and-coming Robson. The 18-year-old has an excellent ground stroke. Clijsters will have to hit plenty of winners to beat her.

David Ferrer (4) vs. Kevin Anderson

This should be fun. Kevin Anderson destroys his serves, and David Ferrer hasn't met a serve he couldn't stroke back to the baseline. Pagliaro has some great stats to highlight this.

Anderson ranks sixth in aces for the season and Ferrer is third in break points converted.

As good as Ferrer is with his return game, big servers are tough to beat on hardcourt, but that means Anderson will have to be on his serve all match. Ferrer is persistent and consistent; chances are he will wear Anderson out.

Wednesday's Match Schedule (according to USOpen.org)

Arthur Ashe Stadium

First Match
Women's Singles Second Round
Victoria Azarenka vs. Kirsten Flipkens

Second Match
Men's Singles First Round
Xavier Malisse vs. John Isner

Third Match
Women's Singles Second Round
Laura Robson vs. Kim Clijsters

Fourth Match
Women's Singles Second Round
Maria Sharapova vs. Lourdes Dominguez Lino

Fifth Match
Men's Singles Second Round
Andy Murray vs. Ivan Dodig

Louis Armstrong Stadium

First Match
Men's Singles First Round
Kevin Anderson vs. David Ferrer

Second Match
Women's Singles Second Round
Alize Cornet vs. Petra Kvitova

Third Match
Men's Singles First Round
Juan Martin del Potro vs. David Nalbandian

Fourth Match
Women's Singles Second Round
Edina Gallovits-Hall vs. Samantha Stosur