Former champion and 10th seed Novak Djokovic takes on unseeded Kei Nishikori in the men's singles first round of Madrid Open — the ongoing ATP Masters 1000 tournament Monday, May 7.
When is the Madrid Open first-round match and how to watch it online
The much-anticipated opening-round at the Spanish capital match will not start before 4 pm local time, 7:30 pm IST and 3 pm BST.
Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD will provide live television coverage of the match in India. The live stream will be available on Sony Liv.
Djokovic vs Nishikori in Madrid - Preview
Not many expected Djokovic and Nishikori to meet as early as in the first round in Madrid but the former's low seeding has pitted him against the world number 20.
Djokovic is heading into the tournament on the back of a shocking first-round defeat in Barcelona Open last month. The Serb, who had a disappointing time during the early-season hard-court swing, showed signs of improvement on clay as he had reached the quarter-final at Monte Carlo Masters but all the positivity fizzled out in Barcelona.
After a week's gap, Djokovic returns to Madrid where he has won two titles (2011 and 2016). The Serb, who has reunited with long-time coach Marian Vajda, will be hoping for a strong start and a win against Nishikori will work wonders to his confidence.
Djokovic has an 11-2 head-to-head record against Nishikori, who has lost their last 10 meetings. The 10th seed will start Monday's match as the clear favorite despite recent struggles.
On the other hand, Nishikori, who has been struggling with wrist injury concerns, pulled out of Barcelona Open in the first round with an injury, days after reaching the final of Monte Carlo Masters. Doubts over the 2014 runner-up's fitness remain as he faces an uphill task Monday.
Madrid Open global TV listings and live stream
US: Tennis Channel
UK: TV - Sky Sports; Live stream: Sky Go
France: France TV
Switzerland: SRG, Teleclub
Canada: TSN
Malaysia: Astro Supersport
