US Open Tennis 2016: TV Schedule, Start Times for Friday Night Draw

The opening day of the 2016 U.S. Open's third round continues Friday night with a slate short on quantity but not star power.

A resurgent Rafael Nadal is the headliner, as he will take the court in prime time, looking to prove he can still contend for Grand Slam titles despite recent injuries. On the women's side, Angelique Kerber continues her quest to capture her second major event win of the year.

Other notable names will also take part in the night portion of the U.S. Open. ESPN2 will broadcast the action from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET, with afternoon coverage airing from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET on ESPN. Take a look below at the matchups, starting times and picks for the late slate at Flushing Meadows.

Men's Singles
Women's Singles
Matchup	Start Time (ET)	Court	Prediction
No. 20 John Isner vs. Kyle Edmund	5:30 p.m.	Louis Armstrong Stadium	Isner in Three
No. 4 Rafael Nadal vs. Andrey Kuznetsov	7 p.m.	Arthur Ashe Stadium	Nadal in Four
Matchup	Start Time (ET)	Court	Prediction
No. 2 Angelique Kerber vs. Catherine Bellis	9:30 p.m.	Arthur Ashe Stadium	Kerber in Two

The full Friday schedule with start times and results is available at ESPN.com. 

For Nadal's standards, it's been a forgetful year for the 14-time Grand Slam champion. The 30-year-old has only two tournament titles in 2016, his lowest total since 2004. He lost in the first round of the Australian Open, dropped out of the French Open and missed Wimbledon entirely. He recently lost two straight matches at the 2016 Olympics to finish in fourth place. 

Yet, Nadal has looked different of late at Flushing Meadows. He has yet to drop a set, with his power looking reminiscent of the old Nadal. According to Douglas Robson of the New York Times, Nadal credits his extensive rehab from a wrist injury and persistent knee problems as a catalyst for his play so far at the U.S. Open. He feels refreshed.

“I feel better about my body,” he said. “I feel that I can be very competitive the next couple of years. ... I am feeling fresh mentally. I am excited about the possibility to compete again in the U.S. Open.”

The agility and strength Nadal has shown back up that sentiment. They were on full display during his second-round match point against Andreas Seppi, courtesy of the U.S. Open's Twitter feed:

His strong play should continue to pay off in his third-round bout with Andrey Kuznetsov. Nadal is 3-0 with no lost sets against the young Russian, with all three wins coming since 2015. Kuznetsov has only made it past the third round of a Grand Slam once in his career. 

Kuznetsov is 8-57 in his career when dropping the first set. So long as Nadal does not come out flat, he should cruise into the next round.

The same result should hold true for Kerber, as she takes on an inexperienced 17-year-old in Catherine Bellis.

Kerber has been great in 2016, winning the Australian Open and making the final at Wimbledon. That has carried over into the U.S. Open, where she has overwhelmed opponents to the tune of two straight-set wins. 

Bellis, who is playing her second-ever major tournament and has yet to turn pro, has made a nice run so far. She looks to have a bright future, but she has shown nothing to prove she can compete with a dominant player like Kerber at this stage of her career. 

As for John Isner, he struggled to pull out a five-set win in his last match. Yet, he is still the favorite against a player in Kyle Edmund who is historically poor on hard courts.

Isner downed Edmund in straight sets in their only meeting, which occurred at the 2016 French Open. Isner's wicked serve is a huge part of his game, and he overwhelmed Edmund with 18 aces. The serve is still on display in this tournament, courtesy of the U.S. Open:

With a 225-115 career record on hard surfaces, Isner is far superior to Edmund, who posts a 5-12 mark. This should allow Isner to utilize his power and take care of business Friday.

Men's statistics are courtesy of ATPWorldTour.com. Women's statistics are courtesy of WTA.com.