Australian Open 2024 Day 3 Live Updates: Big day for Sumit Nagal; tough test for Swiatek, Rybakina; Alcaraz in action

World No.1 Iga Swiatek begins her tournament with a first round match against Sofia Kenin at the Rod Laver Arena. Men's world No.2 Carlos Alcaraz will be in action before that in a first round game against Richard Gasquet. Wimbledon champion Alcaraz is Women's top seed Swiatek is in imperious form, with 16 straight wins under her belt, including five at the recent United Cup.

The Polish player, 22, opens her account with a rematch of the 2020 Roland Garros final against former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, which Swiatek won. Last year's beaten finalist Elena Rybakina, fresh from winning the Brisbane International, takes on former world number one Karolina Pliskova.

Fifth seed Jessica Pegula is also in action and two time champion Victoria Azarenka faces Italy's Camila Giorgi. Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu, now ranked a lowly 296, is an unknown quantity after an eight month layoff. The British player stunned the tennis world when she triumphed at Flushing Meadows in 2021 as a qualifier but only on one other occasion has she reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam.

India's Sumit Nagal will be facing Kazakhstan's 31st seed Alexander Bublik. Nagal reached the main draw of the Australian Open having beaten Slovakia's Alex Molcan in the qualifying final last week. Currently World No. 139 in singles, this is Nagal's second main draw appearance in the season's first Grand Slam after his entry in 2021.

Nagal went down to Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis in the opening round 2 6, 5 7, 3 6 that year. After that no Indian has made it to the singles main draw before his own feat this year. Nagal had also made it to the US Open main draw in 2019 and 2020. In 2019 US Open, Nagal had stretched legendary Roger Federer to four sets at the Flushing Meadows before losing 6 4, 1 6, 2 6, 4 6.

A year later, the Indian managed to enter the second round of the season's final Grand Slam beating host nation's Bradley Klahn in the first round 6 1, 6 3, 3 6, 6 1. Meanwhile, Yuki Bhambri and his Dutch partner Robin Haase face Brazil's Rafael Matos and Colombia's Nicolás Barrientos on Court 12 in men's doubles.

Australian Open 2024 Live Updates, Day 3: Hello! Australian Open 2024 Live Updates, Day 3: All set for day 3! All the first round action will be completed today. And we have some exciting contests lined up. It's a massive day for Indian tennis fans as Sumit Nagal, the only Indian in the main round of the singles event, will start his campaign against Kazakhstan's 31st seed Alexander Bublik.

Big matches to look forward to Iga Swiatek vs Sofia Kenin (women's singles) Elena Rybakina vs Karolina Pliskova (women's singles) Carlos Alcaraz vs Richard Gasquet (men's singles).