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First-Time Major Winner for Ladies; Djokovic, Murray on Course to Meet in Championship

ESPN’s exclusive and all-live presentation of Wimbledon will culminate with the semifinals and Championships on ESPN and ESPN3 on Thursday, July 4 – Sunday, July 7.  Each day’s action will be preceded by the one-hour Breakfast at Wimbledon show offering reviews, previews, interviews, features and highlights (7 a.m. ET on July 4-5, 8 a.m. on July 6-7), hosted by Hannah Storm.  In addition, The Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s Championships will be reaired on ABC the day they are held at 3 p.m. ET (Noon PT). 

The Ladies’ semifinals on Thursday, July 4, include three players who are top-ranked in their country (Lisicki is No. 2 in Germany behind Angelique Kerber) and guarantee there will be a first-time Grand Slam event winner:

• No. 15 Marion Bartoli of France, a 2007 Wimbledon finalist, vs. No. 20 Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium, a 27-year old with a highly regarded game who was ranked No. 262 a year ago because of injuries.
• No. 23 seed Sabine Lisicki of Germany, a 2011 Wimbledon semifinalist, vs. last year’s runner-up, No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland.  

On Friday, July 5, the Gentlemen’s semifinals, on the other hand, are headlined by the top two seeds, who have met in the Championship of two of the last three Majors (2012 US Open, 2013 Australian Open):

• Top-seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia – who counts the 2011 Wimbledon championship among his seven Grand Slam victories – vs. No. 8 Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina, the 2009 US Open winner.  This will be the first time two men have met in the Wimbledon semifinals in the Open Era who have not lost a set.
• The pride of Great Britain, No. 2 seed Andy Murray, hopes to clear the final hurdle (having reached the final last year) and become the first male from the host nation to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936.  He will face the surprising No. 24 Jerzy Janowicz.  Only 22 years old, the 6-8 big server is the first male from Poland to ever reach a Grand Slam semifinal.

Depending on timing and conditions, ESPN may also show a wide variety of doubles through the conclusion of Wimbledon:  Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ (Championships to be played Saturday, July 6, and Sunday, July 7, respectively), plus Mixed and Seniors’ Doubles.  The Gentlemen’s Doubles team of twin brothers Mike and Bob Bryan of the United States are aiming for their 15th Grand Slam title together (each has more in Mixed Doubles).  A victory would also be their fourth consecutive major title.  

Also, ESPN3 will have all available No. 1 court and outer court matches through Sunday, including doubles semis, girls and boys competition and wheelchair events. 

* – ESPN3 will start at 6:30 a.m. ET July 4 – 5

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