US Open Tennis 2018: Tuesday Night Draw TV Schedule, Start Times and Picks

Tuesday night sees some of the game's biggest names in action at the 2018 U.S. Open with men's top seed Rafael Nadal and six-time champion Serena Williams aiming for a place in the semi-finals.

Nadal continues the defence of his title against ninth seed Dominic Thiem. The match is a repeat of the 2018 French Open final which the Spaniard won in straight sets.

Williams faces eighth seed Karolina Pliskova, as she attempts to win her first Grand Slam since returning from maternity leave. The last time the two met was under the lights on Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2016 with Pliskova winning in three sets.

The pair will meet again on Arthur Ashe at 7 p.m. ET (midnight BST). Nadal and Thiem's quarter-final will follow the conclusion of their match. 

Live coverage of Tuesday's play is available on ESPN in the United States. In the United Kingdom the tournament can be viewed on Amazon Prime. A complete television schedule is available from the U.S. Open's official website.

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Nadal and Thiem meet for the 10th time, but Tuesday's clash is the first occasion they have played on any surface other than clay. The Spaniard possesses the better record, as he has six wins to Thiem's three.

The two players will also have to cope with the heat and humidity which have been a factor at this year's tournament. Second seed Roger Federer departed in the fourth round and said he "couldn't get air" during his defeat to Australia's John Millman, per BBC Sport.

Two-time champion Novak Djokovic also appeared to struggle with the conditions during his victory over Joao Sousa on Monday. The Serb left the court at the start of the third set for a medical evaluation.

Nadal has endured some tough tests at Flushing Meadows in 2018. He was taken to four sets by powerful Russian Karen Khachanov in the third round and again by Georgia's Nikoloz Basilashvili in his last match.

The top seed has said he will need to be at his best to beat Thiem:

The Austrian has also been stretched in New York. He was taken to five sets by America's Steve Johnson in the second round. The 25-year-old also dropped the first set against Taylor Fritz in the third round.

Thiem has explained what he feels he needs to do to beat Nadal in New York, per PA Sport (h/t Eurosport).

"I think that I have very powerful groundstrokes, and I can even hurt him with them. But the key is to play really fast and powerful. But at the same time, not make too many mistakes," he said. "I did it sometimes against him, but it’s a risky game style also, because it can happen that I make too many mistakes and then it looks black."

The match has the potential to be a classic. Nadal will be the favourite, but Thiem knows he is capable of beating the Spaniard and pulling off a shock.

Williams' clash with Pliskova should also provide plenty of excitement. The American came through a stiff test in the last round, as she was taken to three sets by Estonia's Kaia Kanepi.

However, she is playing better than she did at Wimbledon when she reached the final, according to USA Today's Dan Wolken:

Pliskova has been in superb form at Flushing Meadows and is yet to drop a set. Tennis writer Courtney Nguyen noted how she's been playing at the tournament:

The Czech star is also confident that she can end Williams' hopes of adding another Grand Slam to her collection, per Ben Rothenberg at the New York Times.

"O.K., she has all the respect from me, but I can beat her, so I'm not worried about her," she said. "She has a big game, but sometimes she behaves bigger than her game is."

Their quarter-final promises to be a close contest. Williams is a fearsome opponent, but Pliskova is in great form and can look to her previous victory over the American for inspiration.