Serena vs. Azarenka, Kerber vs. Radwanska: Four of Top Eight Seeds to Meet for Place in Final
Federer-Djokovic to Meet for First Time at Wimbledon in Friday’s Semifinal
Four of the top eight Ladies seeds will square off in Wimbledon semifinals live on ESPN on Thursday, July 5, at 8 a.m. ET. No. 2 Victoria Azarenka, the current Australian Open title holder, will meet four-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams, seeded No. 6. Agnieszka Radwanska, the No. 3 seed, will meet No. 8 Angelique Kerber. Neither has ever played in the final of a Grand Slam event. The winners will meet in the Ladies’ Championship live on ESPN for the first time Saturday, July 7, at 9 a.m. Depending on the outcome, either Azarenka or Radwanska will be ranked No. 1 on Monday, July 9.
Both Gentlemen’s Semifinals will be seen live on ESPN on Friday, July 6, at 8 a.m. and include a dream matchup – the world’s top ranked player and defending champion Novak Djokovic against six-time winner Roger Federer, ranked No. 3. Djokovic, with six Major crowns, and Federer, who owns an unmatched 16, have never played on the grass courts of Wimbledon.
Those matches, plus the Championships on Saturday and Sunday, July 7 and 8, will be preceded by the one-hour Breakfast at Wimbledon, hosted by Hannah Storm (7 a.m. Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday). ABC will reair the finals on the day they take place, July 7 and 8, at 3 p.m.
All the action on ESPN is also available through WatchESPN online at WatchESPN.com and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app. ESPN 3D is televising live the final five days of action from Centre Court beginning with the men’s quarterfinals Wednesday, July 4, through the Championships.
The new schedule for ESPN’s 10th Wimbledon – exclusive and all-live – is the result of a 12-year agreement between ESPN and the All England Lawn Tennis Club announced just after the conclusion of the 2011 Championships. The remaining schedule:
| Date | Time (ET) | Event | Network | |
| Thur, July 5 | 7 – 8 a.m. | Breakfast at Wimbledon | ESPN / ESPN3 | Live |
| 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Ladies’ Semifinals | ESPN / ESPN3D / ESPN3 | Live | |
| Fri, July 6 | 7 – 8 a.m. | Breakfast at Wimbledon | ESPN / ESPN3 | Live |
| 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Gentlemen’s Semifinals | ESPN / ESPN3D / ESPN3 | Live | |
| Sat, July 7 | 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. | Breakfast at Wimbledon | ESPN / ESPN3 | Live |
| 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Ladies’ Championship | ESPN / ESPN3D / ESPN3 | Live | |
| 3 – 6 p.m. | Ladies’ Championship | ABC | Tape | |
| Sun, July 8 | 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. | Breakfast at Wimbledon | ESPN / ESPN3 | Live |
| 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. | Gentlemen’s Championship | ESPN / ESPN3D / ESPN3 | Live | |
| 3 – 6 p.m. | Gentlemen’s Championship | ABC | Tape |
ESPN – All Four Slams, All In One Place
Tennis has been part of ESPN since its first week on the air and provided many memorable moments, but it has never been as important as today, with the US Open joining the lineup in 2009, giving ESPN all four Grand Slam events, something no other U.S. network has ever done, let alone in one year. ESPN has presented the Australian Open since 1984, the French Open since 2002 (plus 1986 – 1993), and Wimbledon since 2003, with exclusivity for live television with all other rights extended in a 12-year agreement starting in 2012.
ESPN debuted September 7, 1979, and the first tennis telecast was exactly one week later, September 14, a Davis Cup tie, Argentina at U.S. from Memphis with Cliff Drysdale on the call and John McEnroe playing.
In addition, broadband network ESPN3, now in nearly 72 million homes, carries thousands of hours of tennis annually, including all four Grand Slam events, plus ATP 1000 and 500 tournaments and WTA Premier Events, and season-ending championships for both tours. Also, ESPN Classic shows great matches from the past and the sport receives extensive coverage on SportsCenter, ESPNEWS, Spanish-language ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine. ESPN 3D aired its first tennis at Wimbledon in 2011.
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