US Open Tennis 2018: TV Schedule, Picks for Friday Afternoon Draw

Sloane Stephens and Rafael Nadal will be in action at the 2018 U.S. Open on Friday as they continue their title defences on the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

They'll take on Victoria Azarenka and Karen Khachanov, respectively, while in the Louis Armstrong Stadium, Barbora Strycova will play Elise Mertens.

Seventh seed Elina Svitolina faces Qiang Wang on the same court, before Kevin Anderson meets Denis Shapovalov.

Here is the schedule for Friday afternoon, courtesy of the tournament's official website:

Arthur Ashe Stadium (Play begins noon ET, 5 p.m. BST)

(3) Sloane Stephens vs. Victoria Azarenka*

(1) Rafael Nadal* vs. (27) Karen Khachanov

Louis Armstrong Stadium (Play begins 11 a.m. ET, 4 p.m. BST)

(23) Barbora Strycova* vs. (15) Elise Mertens

Qiang Wang vs. (7) Elina Svitolina*

(28) Denis Shapovalov vs. (5) Kevin Anderson*

*Picks to win        

TV Info: In the United States, ESPN and the Tennis Channel will provide coverage. For viewers in the UK, the matches will be streamed live on Amazon Prime.

Stephens survived a scare in her last match after going a set down to Anhelina Kalinina. The American almost blew a 4-1 lead in the second, but won eight of the last 10 games to win in three sets.

Accent Tennis' Matt Zemek was impressed with her resilience:

By contrast, Azarenka has scarcely been troubled thus far, having won both her matches in straight sets.

Against Daria Gavrilova in her last match, she dropped just three games:

Stephens has won both meetings with Azarenka this year, while the latter knocked her out of the Australian Open three years running between 2013 and 2015.

Given the Belarusian's form, it should be a close and exciting match on Friday. What's more, if Stephens isn't on her game, Azarenka is better equipped to capitalise than Kalinina.

Nadal's time in Flushing Meadows has been straightforward so far this year. After David Ferrer retired in the second set of their opening-round clash, Nadal comfortably dispatched Vasek Pospisil in three sets.

Khachanov will have a difficult time on Friday, even more so after the year the world No. 1 has had:

If that weren't enough, Nadal has won all four of their past meetings without dropping a set. If history and form are anything to go by, Khachanov could struggle to make this match any different to their past clashes.