Australian Open 2015: Day 1 Schedule, Matchup Predictions for Melbourne Bracket
The first day of 2015's first major tennis tournament features several marquee stars itching to leave Melbourne with the Australian Open title.
Last year provided a welcome reprieve from the norm, as Stan Wawrinka halted the Big Four's reign of terror by ousting Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. The top-seeded Djokovic will watch on Monday before beginning his quest for a fifth Australian Open crown but an ailing Nadal is once again tasked with returning strong from an injury.
After last year's disappointing fourth-round exits, Maria Sharapova enters as the No. 2 seed behind Serena Williams. Coming off a Brisbane International triumph, the Russian star leads a packed field storming the hard courts on Monday's opening day.
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| No. 3 Simona Halep vs. Karin Knapp | Rod Laver Arena | 11 a.m. |
| No. 5 Ana Ivanovic vs. Lucie Hradecka | Rod Laver Arena | 11 a.m. |
| No. 9 Angelique Kerber vs. Irina-Camelia Begu | Margaret Court Arena | 11 a.m. |
| No. 10 Ekaterina Makarova vs. An-Sophie Mestach | Show Court 3 | 11 a.m. |
| No. 14 Sara Errani vs. Grace Min | Court 6 | 11 a.m. |
| No. 2 Maria Sharapova vs. Petra Martic | Rod Laver Arena | 7 p.m. |
| No. 7 Eugenie Bouchard vs. Anna-Lena Friedsam | Margaret Court Arena | 7 p.m. |
| No. 6 Andy Murray vs. Yuki Bhambri | Margaret Court Arena | 11 a.m. |
| No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov vs. Dustin Brown | Show Court 2 | 11 a.m. |
| No. 7 Tomas Berdych vs. Alejandro Falla | Show Court 2 | 11 a.m. |
| No. 14 Kevin Anderson vs. Diego Schwartzman | Court 19 | 11 a.m. |
| No. 3 Rafael Nadal vs. Mikhail Youzhny | Rod Laver Arena | Not before 2 p.m. |
| No. 11 Ernests Gulbis vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis | Show Court 3 | Not before 6 p.m. |
| No. 2 Roger Federer vs. Yen-Hsun Lu | Rod Laver Arena | 7 p.m. |
Monday's complete schedule is available at AusOpen.com.
Top Stars in Action
Rafael Nadal (vs. Mikhail Youzhny)
Anyone picking Nadal to hoist the trophy will receive opposition from Nadal himself. The Spanish star spoke candidly of his chances during Saturday's news conference, per an Associated Press report via ESPN.com.
"I don't consider myself one of the favorites here," Nadal said. "I would be lying if I say I feel that I am ready to win. In terms of being favorites, the other names are more favorite than me at this time."
Why is someone with 14 Grand Slam titles so bleak about his outlook? The 28-year-old missed most of last season with a myriad of injuries, developing appendicitis after going on the shelf with back problems. In his first match of 2015, he lost to No. 127-ranked Michael Berrer in Qatar.
He has picked up just one of his 14 titles in Melbourne, owning a .776 winning percentage on hard courts compared to an impeccable .930 mark on his preferred clay domain, per ATPWorldTour.com. Now, at less than full strength, he gets a difficult first-round draw in Mikhail Youzhny, who reached last year's quarterfinals.
The 32-year-old Russian will push his established opponent to the limit, but the same questions existed last year about Nadal's health after missing time with a knee injury. He eventually found his footing and never looked back, so look for a hard-fought victory to warm him up.
Prediction: Nadal in five sets
Maria Sharapova (vs. Petra Martic)
Williams will always enter the favorite, but she's losing her grip on the top spot with Maria Sharapova lurking close behind.
The No. 1 seed hasn't advanced past the Australian Open quarterfinals since winning back-to-back crowns in 2009 and 2010. Creating further doubt about her traditional dominance, she looked sluggish in the Hopman Cup, losing two of four single matches.
That opens the door for Sharapova, who cruised through Brisbane with only one dropped set through four victories. She talked about using that success as a jumping pad in Melbourne, per the event's official Twitter page.
Not only is her second Australian Open title on the line, but she can regain the world's No. 1 rank if all goes her way. She's well aware of the task ahead, courtesy of ESPNTennis.
""Obviously No.1 is a ranking that every single player wants to grab and works so hard for." - Maria Sharapova on getting back to World No.1
— ESPNTennis (@ESPNTennis) January 17, 2015"
Rounding out Monday's matches at the Rod Laver Arena, she'll clash with Petra Martic, a 23-year-old with one Australian Open win in six tries. Her No. 183 world ranking represents a far cry from her No. 49 slot to close out 2011.
The young Croatian has regressed after a promising start to her career, and there's little reason to believe she will challenge Sharapova.
Prediction: Sharapova in straight sets
Roger Federer (vs. Yen-Hsun Lu)
Nobody can ever count out Roger Federer. The 33-year-old flourished at Brisbane, beating emerging stars Grigor Dimitrov and Milos Raonic en route to earning his 1,000th career victory.
Bleacher Report's UK Twitter page lists the distinct group he joined with the milestone win.
Unlike Nadal, Federer is feeling good heading into Melbourne. Per ATPWorldTour.com, the veteran said he's still operating at peak form.
"I think I'm serving more consistent and stronger than I ever have. I definitely think the racquet has helped me with that as well a little bit. My concentration is there – better than it's ever been – because I feel, over time, you always want to improve. I feel I'm playing very well. If it's the best ever, I'm not quite sure.
"
If the top mainstays take care of business, the No. 2 seed faces a tough path to his 18th Grand Slam title. He belongs on the same side of the bracket as Nadal and No. 6 Andy Murray, potentially forcing him to slay all three of his Big Four cohorts if a Federer-Djokovic final materializes.
Yen-Hsun Lu gave Wawrinka a tough fight in Wimbledon last year, eventually losing in four closely-contested sets. Yet he's dealing with a rolling Federer eager to secure his first Grand Slam title since 2012. This looks like his best chance in quite some time.
Prediction: Federer in straight sets
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