Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova will meet in Monday night's first feature match at the US Open with 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer following them on Arthur Ashe Stadium, reports AFP. Schedules for the first two days of the year's final Grand Slam were released Friday by the US Tennis Association following the completion of qualifying matches. Following the dramatic night opener will be third-seeded Federer against India's Sumit Nagal. Top-ranked defending champion Novak Djokovic launches his bid for his fifth title in six Grand Slam events after that against Spaniard Roberto Carbella Baena.
Monday's schedule at Louis Armstrong Stadium includes Czech third seed Karolina Pliskova, chasing her first major title, against compatriot Tereza Martincova, India's Prajnesh Gunneswaran against Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev and China's Zheng Saisai against seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams.
Tuesday's schedule was also revealed with top-seeded defending women's champion Naomi Osaka of Japan in the opener on Arthur Ashe Stadium against Russia's Anna Blinkova. Spanish second seed Rafael Nadal opens the night session against Australian John Millman, who upset Federer in last year's first round, with 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens, the US 11th seed, facing Russia's Anna Kalinskaya. Other Tuesday matches there find Greek eighth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas against Russia's Andrey Rublev and Romanian fourth seed Simona Halep, who beat Serena Williams in last month's Wimbledon final, facing American Nicole Gibbs.
