Australian Open 2017: Draw Date, Time, Live-Stream Info and More

The finest tennis players in the world will have their roadmap to glory outlined on Friday, as the draw will take place for the 2017 Australian Open.

As the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, the showcase Down Under is always one of the highlights of the sporting calendar, as the stars in attendance seek to make history.

In the men's draw, we'll see champion Novak Djokovic try to stave off the challenge of world No. 1 Andy Murray, while Angelique Kerber is out to cement her status as the WTA's top-ranked player by defending her title, although you sense Serena Williams will have something to say about that.

Here are all the key viewing details for the draw and a closer look at who is in contention for the title in both singles sections of the competition.

Date: Friday, January 13

Time: 10 a.m. local, 1 a.m. GMT, 8 p.m. ET (Jan. 12)

Live Stream: The draw can be viewed via the tournament's official website.

Women's Singles

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For Kerber, a win in the final of last year's Australian Open against Williams was the catalyst for a tremendous year. Seeded seventh in the 2016 event, she enters this tournament as the top player in the world and on the hunt for a third Grand Slam title.

On the hard courts, the German was imperious in 2016. The left-hander's blend of power, precision, energy and ingenuity makes her hard to contain, so it was no great surprise to see her add the U.S. Open to her Australian Open win last term.

Her preparation hasn't been ideal for the defence of her title, though, as Elina Svitolina eliminated her in the quarter-finals of the Brisbane International. Per the WTA Insider Twitter feed, a few areas of her game have been rusty:

There's a classy cast of players that'll be ready to capitalise if there are any frailties, most notably Williams, who is on the hunt for a seventh title in Melbourne. But the 35-year-old has also been out of sorts in her preparations, losing to Madison Brengle in Round 2 of the ASB Classic.

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Williams wasn't completely down in the dumps, though, as it was her first tournament in four months.

"I definitely felt that rust, but I felt like, mentally, I knew how to get it back and I knew how to get in there," she said during the tournament, per Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times. "That felt really good."

Other contenders include French Open winner Garbine Muguruza, although she pulled out of the Brisbane International with an injury, while the winner of that competition, Karolina Pliskova, is evidently in excellent form in the run-up to the event.

Men's Singles

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Having won a second Wimbledon title, become a double Olympic champion, moved to world No. 1 and received a knighthood in 2016, Murray is enjoying the finest spell of his professional career so far.

However, the Scot will be desperate to put an end to his run of near-misses at the Rod Laver Arena, where he's fallen at the final hurdle on a whopping five occasions. As the best player on the planet, there'll be an expectation for Murray to stamp his authority on the competition.

In Djokovic, he has a major foe, though. In the buildup to the competition, there have been times when the 12-time Grand Slam winner has looked short of his absolute best, but his determination remains sky-high.

During his semi-final tussle with Fernando Verdasco at the Qatar Open, Djokovic saved a staggering five match points. Metro's George Bellshaw suggested that type of spirit epitomised the world No. 2:

While Djokovic and Murray did largely have things their own way in 2016, there may be a few potential traps further down in the draw due to some unfamiliar rankings. Per Stuart Fraser of The Times, there's a familiar face uncharacteristically low in the seedings this year:

Indeed, while both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal start the year seeking to reassert themselves at the top of the men's game, neither look like realistic contenders for glory at this year's event.

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The most significant challenge will likely come from Stan Wawrinka, a winner in this competition in 2014; the Swiss has proved on plenty of occasions that he's the man for the big occasion, beating Djokovic to the U.S. Open title last season. Milos Raonic also made major progress last term and is a man who looks capable of making that final step in a Grand Slam event.