Williams sisters, Djokovic, Nadal headline U.S. Open Day 3 lineup

US Open Day 2 schedule and top matches to watch featuring Serena and Venus Williams, Novak Djokovic, Mardy Fish, Madison Keys and Rafael Nadal.

Author:
Benjamin Snyder
Publish date:
Sep 1, 2015

NEW YORK – Serena Williams continues her quest for the calendar Grand Slam on Wednesday, with older sister Venus Williams and Novak Djokovic headlining the night session on Arthur Ashe on Day 3. Madison Keys, Mardy Fish and Rafael Nadal are also in action.Matches begin at 11 a.m. ET on WatchESPN and coverage on ESPN begins 1 p.m. ET. Check out the full television and broadcast schedule here. Full order of play for Tuesday can be found here.

Matches and storylines to watch on Day 3

The Williams sisters are back in action: Serena Williams’s top section of the draw has opened up significantly since play began on Monday. After Maria Sharapova’s withdrawal due to a leg injury on Sunday, seeded players Jelena Jankovic, Carla Suarez Navarro and Sloane Stephens bowed out in their opening rounds. Serena takes on Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands in her second round match (third match, day session, Arthur Ashe). They’ve never played one another and Bertens is known for hitting the ball big. No. 23 Venus will follow her sister on Ashe, facing compatriot Irina Falconi (first match, night session, Arthur Ashe).

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World No.1 Novak Djokovic plays on Ashe at night: All eyes will likely be drawn to the Serb after as he takes on Andreas Haider-Maurer (second match, night session, Arthur Ashe). Djokovic appears to be in fine form, losing just three games in his opener. Djokovic beat Haider-Maurer on clay earlier this year in Monte Carlo, 6–4, 6–0.

You can watch Rafael Nadal for a grounds pass: Although Nadal has been struggling with his confidence and his signature shot-making ability heading into this year’s U.S. Open, he advanced on Monday night with a win against Borna Coric, the teenager who stunned him on clay at Basel last year. Up next for Nadal is Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman (third match, Louis Armstrong). The Spanish lefty won in their 2013 contest in Acapulco, 6–2, 6–2.

Mardy Fish attempts an upset vs. Feliciano Lopez: Fish kept his career going in his comeback from a debilitating anxiety disorder on Monday by beating Italian Marco Cecchinato. Fish was playing in his first Grand Slam match since 2012 when he retired ahead of the U.S. Open fourth round versus Roger Federer. “I spent a lot of time on the court today telling myself that I’m going to be OK,” said Fish after Monday’s match. “That comes from just learning every experience and episode that I’ve had, the struggle that I’ve had and what I’ve worked so hard to get myself to.” Up next is a tougher test in No. 18 Feliciano Lopez (first match, Louis Armstrong). Fish, a former No. 7 as well as a 2008 U.S. Open quarterfinalist, has won five of eight matches against Lopez. However, their last meeting came at Cincinnati in 2012.

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CoCo Vandeweghe faces another American: If the big-serving CoCo Vandeweghe makes it to the third round at the U.S. Open this year, she’ll have taken out two Americans in a row to get there. Vandeweghe outplayed No. 29 Sloane Stephens in straight sets while giving ESPN its first mid-match interview on court at the same time. She’ll face Bethanie Mattek-Sands, a doubles title winner at this year’s Australian Open and Roland Garros (second match, Louis Armstrong).

If you want to keep tabs on other Americans in action, there’s the Georgian-American Anna Tatishvili playing compatriot Madison Brengle (first match, Grandstand). Others include Lauren Davis (fourth match, Court 17), Jessica Pegula (third match, Court 5) and a large contingent of Americans playing doubles peppered throughout the day, including the Bryan brothers against Sam Querrey and Steven Johnson (fourth match, Louis Armstrong).

More matches to watch: Marin Cilic vs. Evgeny Donskoy (second match, Arthur Ashe); Milos Raonic vs. Fernando Verdasco (second match, Grandstand); Eugenie Bouchard vs. Polona Hercog (third match, Grandstand); David Ferrer vs. Filip Krajinovic (first match, Court 17); Belinda Bencic vs. Misaki Doi (fourth match, Court 11)