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Neither the after-effects of the raging bushfires nor the torrential downpours could dampen spirits as Day 1 of the 2020 edition of the Australian Open got off to a breezy start at Melbourne - and, if the weatherman is be believed Day 2 should be in the news for nothing else but some riveting on-court action.
Dominic Thiem returns to Melbourne Park hoping that the scintillating form that he carried through the latter half of 2019 will help him get past his best-ever fourth-round finish at the Australian Open which he achieved twice in 2017 and 2018.
The Austrian lost to Alexei Popyrin in the second round at Melbourne last year but went on to beat Roger Federer and Novac Djokovic on more than one occasion - the victory over Djokovic in the French Open semifinal underlined Thiem's class especially since the Serbian had been in prime form previous to the Roland Garros defeat.
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The fifth-seeded Thiem takes on 43rd seed, Adrian Mannarino in the first round. The Frenchman has failed to get past Thiem in the last seven meetings the two have had. At the 2018 Australian Open, Mannarino recorded his best finish of the tournament, bowing out in the third round after losing to Thiem in straight sets.
Thiem's exploits on clay courts are primarily what makes the aggressive baseline player a force to reckon with but the 26-year-old will look to continue his dominant run against Mannarino when the action unfolds on Day 2.
Here is all you need to know about the Australian Open 2020 schedule:
Tournament Name: Australian Open 2020
Date: January 20 - February 2, 2020
Category: Grand Slam
Location: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia
Surface: Hardcourt
Prize Money: A$ 71,000,000
Time: Dominic Thiem vs Adrian Mannarino on Margaret Court Arena at approx 5-30 a.m IST on 22 January 2020
Where to watch Australian Open 2020?
USA - ESPN and ESPN2
UK and Europe - Eurosport 1, Eurosport 2, Eurosport 1 HD and Eurosport 2 HD
India - Sony Six, Sony Ten 2, Sony Six HD and Sony Ten 2 HD, Sony Ten 3 (matches with Hindi commentary)
Live stream details for Australian Open 2020
Australian Open 2020 live stream is available on Tennis TV (a subscription is needed for the service).
The matches can also be streamed live on SonyLiv.
For regular updates and match highlights, stay tuned to Australian Open TV
