Australian Open 2015 TV Schedule: Day-by-Day Listings for Entire Tournament
The 2015 Australian Open is gearing up to kick off the year's Grand Slam quartet, which means American tennis diehards had better start getting ready for some all-nighters in the near future.
But while the action in Melbourne can prove difficult for those stateside to catch due to the immense time difference, it always proves to be worth the sleep-schedule adjustments. The year's first Slam tends to offer a bit more unpredictability than is seen in most other big tournaments, and it's a key gauge to show which of the world's best will be vying for titles throughout the new year.
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As fans in the U.S. wind down their days and evenings, the next day will already be upon Australia and offer Americans some high-profile late-night action. Let's go ahead and look at the full TV schedule for the entire tournament.
| 7 p.m. - 7 a.m. | Early rounds | ESPN2 | |
| 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. | Early rounds | Tennis Channel | |
| 9 p.m. - 7 a.m. | Early rounds | ESPN2 | |
| 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. | Early rounds | Tennis Channel | |
| 9 p.m. - 7 a.m. | Early rounds | ESPN2 | |
| 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. | Early rounds | Tennis Channel | |
| 9 p.m. - 7 a.m. | Early rounds | ESPN2 | |
| 6 p.m. - 11 p.m. | Early rounds | Tennis Channel | |
| 11 p.m. - 7 a.m. | Early rounds | ESPN2 | |
| 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. | Early rounds | Tennis Channel | |
| 9 p.m. - 7 a.m. | Early rounds | ESPN2 | |
| 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. | Early rounds | Tennis Channel | |
| 9 p.m. - 7 a.m. | Round of 16 | ESPN2 | |
| 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. | Round of 16 | Tennis Channel | |
| 9 p.m. - 6:30 a.m. | Round of 16 | ESPN2 | |
| 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. | Round of 16 | Tennis Channel | |
| 9 p.m. - 6 a.m. | Quarterfinals | ESPN2 | |
| 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. | Quarterfinals | Tennis Channel | |
| 9 p.m. - 2 a.m. | Quarterfinals | ESPN2 | |
| 3:30 a.m. - 6 a.m. | Quarterfinals | ESPN2 | |
| 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. | Quarterfinals | Tennis Channel | |
| 9:30 p.m. - 2 a.m. | Semifinals | ESPN2 | |
| 3:30 a.m. - 6 a.m. | Semifinals | ESPN | |
| 11 p.m. - 3:30 a.m. | Semifinals | Tennis Channel | |
| 3:30 a.m. - 6 a.m. | Semifinals | ESPN | |
| 11 p.m. - 3 a.m. | Semifinals | Tennis Channel | |
| 3 a.m. - 5:30 a.m. | Women's final | ESPN | |
| 3 a.m. - 6:30 a.m. | Men's final | ESPN |
Note: TV schedule are courtesy of ESPN and Tennis Channel official listings.
Players to Watch
No. 1 Novak Djokovic
There may simply be no stopping Novak Djokovic in Melbourne over these next few weeks.
The 27-year-old left no doubt of his place as world No. 1 throughout the 2014 season, seeming to only cement his growing place as the best in today's tennis climate. He did fall in the Australian Open quarterfinals a year ago, but it was his first time failing to win the event in four years.
No Slam has been nearly as kind to Djokovic as Melbourne, where he's won four of his seven career Slams and swept three straight years before a quarterfinal upset to eventual champion Stan Wawrinka. After racking up some ATP trophies late in 2014, he's ready to roll.
An "illness" did keep Djokovic from talking to the media on the eve of play, but it's not expected to be a big deal, per SportingLife.com's Andy Schooler:
Assuming Djokovic comes into the tournament healthy and playing at the high-caliber rate he's been so consistent at over the course of recent history, the top-seeded Serbian is the man to beat in Melbourne.
No. 1 Serena Williams
When the best in women's tennis are gearing up for a run at a Slam, the buck stops with Serena Williams.
The all-time great American comes into the Australian Open once again as the top seed, and there's little doubt that if she brings her best, nobody will be capable of stopping her. With her immense combination of strength and speed, Williams is more than a handful to deal with when she's on.
All too often, though, she can be overtaken by a confident opponent when her best just isn't there. That was showcased in her Australian Open tuneup, struggling in two opening-round matches before a straight-set loss to Eugenie Bouchard.
But there's no doubt for Williams that nobody will be able to match her fire in Melbourne.
"I want it, I think, more than anyone else here," Williams told Neil Sands of AFP, via Yahoo! Sports. "That doesn't mean I'm going to get it so I'll have to fight hard to get it."
Nobody is downplaying the fact that Williams has the fight and hunger to make a run at a sixth Australian Open title, but her body will have to follow suit.
No. 4 Stan Wawrinka
Somehow, someway, Stan Wawrinka will come into the 2015 Australian Open once again as an overlooked contender.
The dominance of the Big Four in men's tennis has overshadowed the emergence of some talented young players, most impressive of which in 2014 was Wawrinka. Along with a couple of deep runs in Slams, he finally broke through by winning it all in Melbourne last year.
Despite coming in as the defending champion, he only assumes the No. 4 seed, which means he'll have to face Djokovic again before the final, per Australian Open:
Although Wawrinka has some favorable recent history on his side against Djokovic, the career success just hasn't been there. He's a lowly 3-16 all-time against the Serbian, and he will have a tough time overtaking Djokovic given what occurred between the two last year.
But if anybody is capable of upsetting Djokovic in this type of a situation twice in two years, it's a heady player with the overall skill set of Wawrinka.
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