Australian Open 2015: Day 3 Schedule, Matchups Predictions for Melbourne Bracket
The first round of the 2015 Australian Open was riddled with upsets of seeded players, but none were shocking. On Day 3, the matchups will become slightly more difficult, and young players will be looking for their chance to shine.
Some of the biggest stars will grace the court yet again on Day 3. Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova will both play in Rod Laver Arena. Meanwhile, underdogs like Nick Kyrgios and Eugenie Bouchard will look to make a statement after a strong 2014 season.
The earliest matches on Day 3 begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday in Australia, which is 7 p.m. ET Tuesday. The latest matches begin no earlier than 7 p.m. locally (8 a.m. ET Wednesday).
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Before Day 3 gets underway, here's a look at the notable matches and predictions for the top stars. Click here to see the full schedule.
| No. 2 Maria Sharapova vs. Alexandra Panova | 7 p.m. | Sharapova |
| No. 2 Roger Federer vs. Simone Bolelli | 7 p.m. | Federer |
| No. 3 Rafael Nadal vs. Tim Smyczek | 8 a.m. | Nadal |
| No. 3 Simona Halep vs. Jarmila Gajdosova | 8 a.m. | Halep |
| No. 6 Andy Murray vs. Marinko Matosevic | 7 p.m. | Murray |
| No. 14 Sara Errani vs. Silvia Soler-Espinosa | 7 p.m. | Errani |
| No. 7 Eugenie Bouchard vs. Kiki Bertens | 8 a.m. | Bouchard |
| No. 22 Philipp Kohlschreiber vs. Bernard Tomic | 8 a.m. | Tomic |
| No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov vs. Lukas Lacko | 7 p.m. | Dimitrov |
| No. 23 Ivo Karlovic vs. Nick Kyrgios | Not before 6 a.m. | Kyrgios |
Roger Federer Breezes Through to 3rd Round With Straight-Sets Win
Even at 33 years old, Federer is always a contender at majors with his timeless play. No, he's not as quick or even as agile as he was in his prime, but Federer hasn't lost the intelligence that made him one of the most successful players in the game.
There might be an upset coming for Federer, but it certainly won't be taking place on Day 3. Italian Simone Bolelli has faced Federer three times and never truly challenged the Swiss player, resulting in three losses.
Federer spoke about the difficulty of facing Yen-Hsun Lu in the first round, via the Aussie Open's official Twitter account:
Expect a similar match against Bolelli, who will be looking to advance to the third round in Melbourne for the first time in his career. That won't happen against a hungry Federer, who's looking to win his fifth Happy Slam.
Eugenie Bouchard Continues Path Back to Semis
Looking for a young women's tennis player to get behind for the first major? Very few players appear to have as bright of a future as Eugenie Bouchard.
The Canadian's game was nearly flawless in 2014, including a semifinals appearance in Melbourne. Just over a month away from turning 21, Bouchard has an opportunity to repeat that success with a decent path to the semis again.
Several early upsets gives Bouchard a favorable route, as Sports Illustrated Tennis notes:
Facing off with Kiki Bertens, who is making her first appearance in the second round of the major, Bouchard should come away with another easy win. She should face few challenges until matchups against top seeds in the later rounds.
Rafael Nadal Routs Opponent Under Bright Lights
No player comes into the Australian Open with more question marks than Rafael Nadal. The No. 3 player in the world still came away with a convincing first-round triumph over Mikhail Youzhny in straight sets.
Up next for Nadal is American Tim Smyczek, who will get his first taste of what facing Nadal is like. Sure, Nadal might still have some hiccups in his game after missing the U.S. Open but not enough to drop a match in the second round.
Remember, Nadal was still the runner-up last season and won the 2009 Aussie Open. If any player can bounce back from an injury with a rousing run in the first Grand Slam, it will be Nadal.
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