Australian Open 2015 Schedule: Replay TV Coverage, Live Stream for Day 6 Draw
As the first Grand Slam of the season, there are always immense expectations placed on the Australian Open, but the 2015 edition of the tennis tournament has been even better than anyone could have anticipated.
With top stars like Roger Federer on the men’s side and Caroline Wozniacki on the women’s side being eliminated from the competition, there is a feeling of uneasiness as the elite players realize the depth of competition this year.
Here is all the vital viewing information for Day 6 at the 2015 Australian Open and a spoiler-free preview of Saturday’s biggest matchup.
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Where: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia
Watch: ESPN 2
Live Stream: WatchESPN and AusOpen.com
Replay Coverage: ESPN 3 (3 to 11 a.m. ET)
Full Day 4 Schedule: AusOpen.com
No. 9 David Ferrer vs. No. 18 Gilles Simon
Men’s and women’s top seeds Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams will be in action on Day 6, but the most interesting matchup will be the men’s battle between No. 9 seed David Ferrer and No. 18 seed Gilles Simon.
The two men have a long history playing each other, but the magnitude of the Australian Open stage will throw all of the formalities out the window. With Grand Slam hopes on the line, the action on court will be intense.
Ferrer comes into this matchup as the favorite. Simon has the height advantage, but there are few men’s players who can cover as much ground as Ferrer. After losing the first set to Thomaz Bellucci, he bounced back to win three straight sets and took the first-round victory.
In Round 2, Ferrer again lost the first set against Sergiy Stakhovsky, but he managed to win the next three in relatively dominant fashion. Besides his first-set struggles, Ferrer has looked like one of the strongest players in the tournament.
The official ESPN tennis account shared Ferrer’s joy after his second-round win:
"A victor's smile! No.9 seed David Ferrer overcomes Stakhovsy 57 63 64 62 to book spot in 3rd rd against Gilles Simon. pic.twitter.com/IPunFDgrKf
— ESPNTennis (@ESPNTennis) January 22, 2015"
When asked about the tough matchup against Simon, Ferrer heaped praise on his challenger and explained to Charlie Bennett of Sports Mole what it would take to win, saying, “It is going to be a very tough match against Gilles. He is a very strong player, when I play with him it is a very close match and I think we will have good rallies. My fitness is very important and I must prepare for a long match.”
On the other hand, Simon will not go down without a fight. The 30-year-old veteran knows his way around the Australian Open and has not dropped a set in this year’s event. Not only did he beat Robin Haase in straight sets, but he also managed to do the same to Marcel Granollers in the second round.
There is no questioning the talent of Simon and how well he has played, but he doesn’t have the energy and endurance that Ferrer possesses. As the smaller player, he is used to being run around the court and has taken his cardio to elite levels.
Add in the fact that Ferrer has a deceivingly hard shot on the serve and the return, and Simon will be outmatched. The French star may be strong on the baseline, but with the speed of his Spanish challenger, this matchup will likely fall in favor of Ferrer.
Stats and information via AusOpen.com.
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