2018 Australian Open live streaming, Rafael Nadal vs Damir Dzumhur live streaming
Tennis - Australian Open - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia, January 17, 2018. Rafael Nadal of Spain hits a shot against Leonardo Mayer of Argentina. Reuters / Thomas Peter

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal will face Bosnian 28th seed Damir Dzumhur Friday in the third round of the 2018 Australian Open. A year after losing to arch-rival Roger Federer in a memorable five-set final, Nadal is trying to add a second Australian Open title to his illustrious career that features 16 Grand Slam victories.

Nadal hasn't won at Melbourne Park since 2009. A year ago, Nadal returned to the tournament as an underdog, especially after undergoing a career-threatening wrist surgery in 2016. However, the early exits suffered by Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray cleared the pathway for a Federer vs Nadal final. Though Federer got the better of his long-time rival, Nadal proceeded to dominate most of 2017 before returning to the apex of tennis.

The Spaniard's sensational 2017 was cut short by injury woes. Nadal was forced to withdraw from the Paris Masters, Nitto ATP Finals, Abu Dhabi exhibition and the recently-concluded Brisbane International. However, Nadal hasn't skipped a step at Melbourne through his first two victories and is a realistic threat to tournament favourites Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Nadal and Dzumhur have faced off once before, in the first round of the 2016 Miami Masters. The 25-year-old Bosnian was leading the third set 3-0 when Nadal retired hurt with a wrist injury. Dzumhur won the match 2-6, 6-4, 3-0 but knows that 2018 Nadal is a different animal.

"This is a big thing -- I'm playing against the best player in the world at the moment -- on the biggest tennis court in Australia -- at the first Grand Slam of the season. I hope I will give my best. Honestly, I hope I will recover as much as I can and go for a big result against Nadal," Dzumhur said after his 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory over Australia's John Millman in the second round.

Nadal praised Dzumhur while remembering their 2016 Miami Masters encounter. "He is a tough opponent and he is playing tennis very well. The only way to win is to play a stronger rhythm than him and to be more aggressive. That’s what I’m going to do," said Nadal on the eve of the game.

Roger Federer is currently the odds-on favourite to repeat as Australian Open champion. Rafael Nadal and six-time champion Novak Djokovic are tied at second place. 2018 Australian Open live streaming, Rafael Nadal vs Damir Dzumhur live streaming, Rafael Nadal live streaming and tennis live streaming info follows.

Rafael Nadal vs Damir Dzumhur Struff live stream: Watch Tennis online
Third Round

Start time: 7 p.m. Thursday (Local Time, AEDT), 3 a.m. (ET), 8 a.m. (GMT)
On TV: Channel 7 (Australia), ESPN 2 (USA), Eurosport, BBC (UK)
2018 Australian Open live stream:
7Pus (Australia), WatchESPN (USA), Watch Eurosport (UK)