NEW YORK — Only 13 more days to go before both US Open champions are crowned.
But before that, a lot of players have a lot of work to do on the court. On Tuesday, the bottom half of both the men’s and women’s draw take the court for their first-round matches.
Here’s a look at the notable matches for the day. You can see our full airings schedule here.
Day session
Two matches to watch
No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki vs. Samantha Stosur: Wozniacki hopes she doesn’t suffer the same fate as top-ranked Simona Halep did here Monday. Wozniacki takes on a former US Open champ in Stosur, who surprised Serena Williams in the 2011 final. Despite winning the Australian Open in January, Wozniacki has not strung together the strongest campaign, particularly this summer, where she went just 1-3 between Wimbledon, Montreal and Cincinnati. But if there’s a slice of good news for Wozniacki, her opponent has not fared any better and has slipped to No. 64 in the world.
(Watch on ESPN: Noon ET on Arthur Ashe Stadium)
Taylor Townsend vs. Amanda Anisimova: With a slew up top stars in action, you wouldn’t think this matchup would stand out — but it does. Townsend was a highly touted player a half-decade ago, but she has failed to materialize into the breakout star a lot of experts thought she’d become. Fellow American Anisimova, the reigning girls’ US Open junior champion, was granted a wild card to the main draw this year. Just 16 years old, she is also being dubbed as a future champ, but injuries have derailed a good part of her season. Five months ago, the 137th-ranked Anisimova fractured her ankle in Miami and was forced to miss the French Open and Wimbledon, among other tournaments. The last woman to win the junior championship and the main-draw event in New York was Lindsay Davenport (1992 and 1997, respectively).
(Watch on ESPN+: 11 a.m. ET on Court 11)
Other notables: Reigning Wimbledon champions Novak Djokovic and Angelique Kerber kick off their 2018 US Open campaigns. Djokovic takes on against Hungarian Marton Fucsov (second match on Arthur Ashe Stadium), while Kerber faces Margarita Gasparyan (second on Louis Armstrong Stadium). Naomi Osaka, Marin Cilic No. 4 Alexander Zverev also take the court.
Night session
Two matches to watch
No. 2 Roger Federer vs. Yoshihito Nishioka: Federer has played just one event since falling in the Wimbledon quarterfinals. The No. 2 made it to the Cincinnati final before losing to Djokovic in straight sets. Federer, who turned 37 earlier this month, has gone a decade since last winning the US Open, a tournament he won five straight times between 2004-2008. Nishioka is a 22-year-old Japanese player who has gone just 4-9 this season. He’s also coming of an ACL injury that sidelined him for most of 2017. Federer and Nishioka have never played.
(Watch on ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET on Arthur Ashe Stadium)
No. 22 Maria Sharapova vs. Patty Schynder: While Sharapova is the bigger name, Schynder might be the better story. The former No. 7 retired from tennis in 2011 until she decided to come back four years later. Since then, Schynder has been a staple in the Challenger-level events, winning two titles. At 39, she is the oldest player in the WTA draw. Sharapova has also navigated her way through a couple generations. In 2006, she won her lone US Open title, but has reached just one semifinal since. This season, Sharapova played well on clay, reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open, but has won just two matches in two events during the summer hard-court swing.
(Watch on ESPN2, second night match on Louis Armstrong)
Other notables: Nick Kyrgios looks to put a disappointing, injury-plagued summer behind him. The Aussie takes on Radu Albot in the first night match at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Madison Keys looks to take her first toward another deep run at the US Open. She faces Pauline Parmentier following the Federer-Nishioka match on Arthur Ashe Stadium.