Roger Federer and Caroline Wozniacki will open the defence of their Australian Open 2018 titles on the big stage of Rod Laver Arena on Monday night.

Federer will begin his quest for a hat-trick of Melbourne Park crowns and his seventh Australian Open title in all against world No.99 Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan as the second match of the opening night session at RLA, with Wozniacki, who won her first major here 12 months ago, commencing the night program against Belgian world No. 51 Alison Van Uytvanck.

MORE: Click here to see the Day 1 schedule of play

AO 2008 women’s singles champion Maria Sharapova starts action at RLA on Monday, with men’s second seed Rafael Nadal taking on Australian wildcard James Duckworth in the second match. Women’s 2016 winner Angelique Kerber rounds out the day session.

At Margaret Court Arena, US Open 2017 women’s singles winner Sloane Stephens and rising Aussie star Alex de Minaur are on the schedule for the day session, while locals Ash Barty and Bernard Tomic feature in the night program, Tomic pitted against sixth seed and last year’s runner-up Marin Cilic.

Five-time AO finalist and former world No.1 Andy Murray, who announced on Friday that injury will force him into retirement this year, starts his tournament against Spanish 22nd seed Roberto Bautista Agut at Melbourne Arena, in a match not to be played before 6pm.

