Tennis superstars Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova will all see action in the opening day of the 2015 Australian Open on Sunday night in Melbourne, Australia.
Nadal, who lost to Stanislas Wawrinka in the final of the 2014 Australian Open, will look to shake off rust when he starts his campaign against unseeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny.
The Spanish tennis superstar, who has only won one Australian Open title in his illustrious career, is coming off a disappointing season after being slowed down by injuries last season.
Nadal was hobbled by nagging back injuries last year and was also sidelined by a wrist injury. His season ended in November last year after undergoing appendectomy, which forced him to skip the ATP World Tour Final in London.
The 14-time Grand Slam champion had disappointing stints in Abu Dhabi and Qatar earlier this month. When asked about his chances at the 2015 Australian Open, Nadal admitted that winning the title is a long shot at this point.
"I don't consider myself one of the favorites here," Nadal told the tournament's official website. "Last year, yes. This year is a different story. Would be lying if I say I feel that I am ready to win today. I don't feel myself ready to win the tournament here."
The Nadal-Youzhny match will be the third match of the first session at Rod Laver Arena that is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. EST.
Meanwhile, Federer will also begin his chase for his 18th Grand Slam title when he takes on Yen-Hsun Lu of Chinese Taipei on Monday, 3 a.m. EST at Rod Laver Arena.
Federer is coming off a successful stint at the 2015 Brisbane International where he defeated Milos Raonic in the final, which also gave the Swiss tennis superstar the 1,000th victory of his career.
Heading into the tournament, Federer, a four-time Australian Open champion, feels confident about his chances.
"I think I'm serving more consistent and stronger than I ever have," Federer said in an interview. "That's my opinion. I definitely think the racquet has helped me with that as well, a little bit. But, you know, my concentration I do believe is there, better than it's ever been."
After the match between Federer and Lu, women's tennis superstar Maria Sharapova will take court against Petra Martic of Croatia, where she will be heavily favored to win.
Sharapova, who won the Australian Open in 2008 and finished runner-up to Victoria Azarenka in 2012, is coming off a strong performance in Brisbane, where she won the title after defeating Ana Ivanovic in the final.
Complete schedule of the 2015 Australian Open Day 1 can be seen on this link. Fans can also catch the action via live streaming on the tournament's official website.
