US Open Tennis 2015: TV Schedule, Start Times for Tuesday Night Draw

The U.S. Open sets itself apart from other Grand Slam events with its lively night sessions, and there will be no shortage of intriguing matchups on tap Tuesday evening in New York City.

In addition to third-seeded Andy Murray taking on controversial Aussie Nick Kyrgios in the men's draw, potential top Serena Williams challenger Petra Kvitova will be in action on the women's side. With the U.S. Open serving as the final tennis major of 2015, there promises to be plenty of fire and desperation from the world's top players as they look to end the season on a high note.

As Tuesday's results continue to roll in, here is a rundown of the upcoming night session, as well as a closer look at the top clashes tennis fans won't want to miss.

Tuesday's Night Schedule

Match	Time (ET)	Player 1	Player 2	Watch
Women's First Round	6 p.m.	(26) Flavia Pennetta	Jarmila Gajdosova	ESPN/ESPN3
Women's First Round	6 p.m.	(27) Alize Cornet	Kurumi Nara	ESPN/ESPN3
Women's First Round	6 p.m.	Evgeniya Rodina	Tereza Mrdeza	ESPN/ESPN3
Women's First Round	6 p.m.	Alexandra Panova	Monica Niculescu	ESPN/ESPN3
Women's First Round	6 p.m.	Timea Babos	(22) Samantha Stosur	ESPN/ESPN3
Women's First Round	6 p.m.	Shelby Rogers	Sachia Vickery	ESPN/ESPN3
Women's First Round	6 p.m.	Lourdes Dominguez Lino	Nicole Gibbs	ESPN/ESPN3
Men's First Round	7 p.m.	Nick Kyrgios	(3) Andy Murray	ESPN/ESPN3
Women's First Round	9:30 p.m.	(5) Petra Kvitova	Laura Siegemund	ESPN/ESPN3

Breaking Down Top Tuesday Night Matchups

Nick Kyrgios vs. (3) Andy Murray

In the featured match of the night at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Murray will begin his hunt for a second career U.S. Open title against an extremely tricky opponent in Kyrgios.

While the Brit certainly has an advantage over Kyrgios on paper, the 20-year-old youngster is far from a pushover. He is the 37th-ranked player in the world currently, and he has two Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances to his credit.

With that in mind, Murray is well aware that advancing to the second round in New York won't be easy, according to BBC's Piers Newbery:

Although Kyrgios has the tools to give Murray some issues, he has never taken a set from the two-time Grand Slam champion in three career meetings. That includes the 2015 Australian Open, which was a straight-sets quarterfinal triumph for Murray in front of a partisan crowd.

Murray has had his struggles in Flushing since winning the U.S. Open in 2012, as he has been ousted in the quarters in consecutive years.

Even so, he feels very good about his chances of making a deep run and perhaps even winning it all in 2015, per BBC's Kheredine Idessane:

"

I believe I can win. I've played well enough this year to give myself an opportunity at all of the majors. ... Coming in here in the past few years I didn't necessarily have great preparation. I haven't played particularly well in Cincinnati or Canada over the past few years, and in 2012, I hardly played any matches on the hard courts coming in (because of the Olympics). ... I definitely feel like my body is in a good place and I've obviously won more matches this year than I have in the past, so I feel good going in.

"

Murray is on the verge of potentially going two years without a Grand Slam title, so there is some added pressure on his shoulders entering the tournament.

Any type of physical or mental lapse could do him in against the hard-hitting Kyrgios, but Murray's game is so much more polished than the Aussie's that yet another straight-sets win for the favorite seems to be the likeliest outcome.

(5) Petra Kvitova vs. Laura Siegemund

Fred Beckham/Associated Press

There is no question that Serena is the player to beat in the women's draw, as she looks to complete the calendar Slam, but one opponent who could potentially give her some trouble is Kvitova.

The 25-year-old Czech is a two-time Wimbledon champion, and she is one of the few players on tour who can come close to matching Williams in the power department. She is also a lefty, which can create some issues in terms of a different type of spin in comparison to most players.

Kvitova resides in the bottom half of the draw, which is wide open as other top seeds include hot-and-cold players like Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki. Provided she can find her way through the first few rounds, she is an extremely dangerous player, as evidenced by this stat courtesy of WTA Insider:

The tall southpaw has momentum on her side as she won the Connecticut Open last week. At the same time, this has been an extremely trying year for her.

Kvitova was diagnosed with mononucleosis in August, but she has actually been battling it for much longer. According to a personal blog written by Kvitova for BBC, the illness has limited her in terms of preparation:

"

It's very challenging to get the right balance between relaxing and working. The doctor told me I'm still able to play matches but I can't work too hard in the preparation. That means less time on the practice court, but I was always more keen on quality than quantity, so now that's even more the case.

"

Mono certainly didn't appear to limit Kvitova in Connecticut, but the U.S. Open is an entirely different animal. It also happens to be a tournament she has struggled in over the years as she has never advanced past the fourth round despite her immense power.

Kvitova shouldn't have much trouble with 27-year-old German Laura Siegemund in the opening round, but she'll have some big-time challenges after that.

Provided Kvitova is able to get off on the right foot Tuesday, she may very well establish herself as the finals favorite in her part of the draw.

Timea Babos vs. (22) Samantha Stosur

Tertius Pickard/Associated Press

It may not have the same cachet as matches involving Murray and Kvitova, but for tennis fans who are looking for a highly competitive match that could result in an upset, the first-round meeting between Timea Babos and No. 22 Samantha Stosur could provide all those elements.

Stosur is a fan favorite at the U.S. Open, as the Aussie surprised many by winning the tournament in 2011. She hasn't enjoyed much Grand Slam success since then, though, with just one semifinal and one quarterfinal to show for it.

In fact, NYC has been extremely unkind to her over the past two years as she exited in the first round in 2013 and in the second round last year.

Along with that, the 31-year-old veteran is set to face a player who she just lost to at the Cincinnati Masters. Babos defeated her in an entertaining three-set affair, and she could very well send Stosur home early again at the U.S. Open.

Despite the recent loss to Babos, Stosur seems unconcerned about the possible implications for the U.S. Open, according to Tennis.com:

"

It's kind of funny the way it works out, getting to play Babos again—she's the last person that I played. So it's a good opportunity to try and get out there and probably change a couple of things that I did from that match, and see how it goes. ... (In that match) I played well and she played very well, and that's the way it goes sometimes. It's not the result that you ultimately want, but I certainly didn't leave that tournament thinking I have to reinvent the wheel and change all these things that are going on. It's a match.

"

Babos already knows she can beat Stosur, but the 22-year-old Hungarian doesn't have a track record of success in Grand Slams. She has never advanced past the second round in any of them, and she has never won a U.S. Open match.

Both Babos and Stosur are in an advantageous part of the draw, though, which means the winner could go on a deep run. Provided Babos comes out on top, it could be the breakthrough moment she and her fans have long awaited.

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