Australian Open 2015 Schedule: Replay TV Coverage, Live Stream for Day 3 Draw
The Australian Open presents an impossibly tough task for tennis fans who are morning people, with a brutal time differential leaving most of the action between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. on the U.S. East Coast.
But alas, some mediums are available that allow you to get your fill of the first Grand Slam of 2015 without staying up long into the morning.
I'd recommend staying off of Twitter if you're hoping to be surprised by the first big upset of the tournament—actually, there have already been a few—but other than that, waiting until the morning and catching the action then isn't a bad way to go.
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Here's a look at all of the information to do so and the top matches to watch for Day 3.
Day 3 Replay, Live Stream Info
Replay Coverage: Day 3 match replays are available on demand at WatchESPN (various replays will air on ESPN2 on Jan. 21 between 3-6 p.m. ET)
Live Stream: WatchESPN and AusOpen.com have streams available between 6 p.m.-7 a.m. ET.
Top Day 3 Matches
No. 3 Rafael Nadal vs. Tim Smyczek
Whenever Rafael Nadal has played early in a Grand Slam not held at Roland Garros over the last two years, there has been potential for craziness.
Although it's usually due to him coming in far from his best or nursing a tough injury, the Spaniard has found life tough in the opening few rounds of Slams as of late. Admittedly not at his best again entering the Australian Open, he faces Tim Smyczek out of the USA in Round 2 action Wednesday.
Nadal took practically the last half of 2014 off to recover, leaving question marks surrounding his chances to make a deep run Down Under. He raised even more questions after saying the following before play began.
"I don't consider myself one of the favorites here," Nadal said, per The Associated Press' Jocelyn Gecker, via ABCNews.com. "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."
Despite talking himself down, however, Nadal opened up with a swift drubbing of Mikhail Youzhny in the first round, showcasing the accurate service and aggressive play that have won him 14 Slams in his career.
Nadal has never faced Smyczek, but that tends to be an advantage for the more experienced player—who is Nadal. If he posts another impressive straight-set win, he'll emerge as a serious contender in a loaded half of the bracket containing No. 2 Roger Federer and No. 6 Andy Murray.
Alexandra Panova vs. No. 2 Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova had to take notice of the statement made by women's top seed Serena Williams on Day 2 of play in Melbourne.
One day after the Russian opened up play with a convincing straight-set win over Petra Martic, the American did the same, dominating Alison Van Uytvanck en route to a 6-0, 6-4 win. Williams played far from her best against a confident opponent and still ran away with it.
Now it's Sharapova's turn to set the tone in a second-round matchup against fellow Russian Alexandra Panova.
The 25-year-old Panova has been around, making her 15th appearance at a Slam, but she has never faced Sharapova. To make matters tougher, she's looking to make it past the second round in Melbourne for the first time ever.
Panova had to sweat through qualifying with two victories that went the distance and has already played four times in Melbourne. Meanwhile, Sharapova is coming in fresh and confident of her chances for a deep run, as told by the tournament's Twitter:
Top seeds in the women's bracket are dropping like flies, with No. 5 Ana Ivanovic and No. 9 Angelique Kerber just two of the high seeds to fall in the first round. Don't think the likes of Sharapova and Williams haven't taken notice, as their opponents will be coming doubly hard at them, looking to pull similar upsets.
The pressure on the women's top seeds throughout Round 1 makes every match Sharapova plays a must-see event to see if she can get past the early tests and make it deep into the tournament.
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