·         20th Meeting & Rematch of 2004 Final; 16-Match Williams Winning Streak on the Line vs. Sharapova

·         Williams Seeks Second “Serena Slam” & Leg #3 of 2015 Grand Slam

·         Radwanska-Muguruza – Opportunity for First-time Major Winner

·         Breakfast at Wimbledon with Features, Interviews & Previews before Semifinals, Championships

·         “ESPN3 Surround” Feed Added with Three-Box Screen to Watch Players Individually

ESPN exclusive coverage of Wimbledon continues with a two very different matches in the Ladies’ Semifinals on Thursday, July 9, at 8 a.m. ET – two of the most recognized female athletes in the world with a combined 25 Major titles in one and a meeting of two players seeking their first Major championship in the other.

In the day’s first match on the famed grass of Centre Court at the All England Club, 2012 Wimbledon finalist No. 13 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland faces No. 20 Garbine Muguruza of Spain who has reached her first Major semifinal.

• The 26-year old Radwanska reached the Wimbledon final in 2012 (losing to Serena Williams in three sets). It is her only appearance in a Major final.
• The 21-year old Muguruza has been a player on the rise this year, reaching the Round of 16 at the Australian Open (where she took a set from Serena Williams) and the Quarterfinals at the French Open.

The second semifinal sees familiar foes staring at each other across the net for the 20th time, 33-year old top-seeded Serena Williams and 28-year old No. 4 Maria Sharapova.

• Williams leads series 17-2, including 16 consecutive wins.
• At Wimbledon, they have split two matches – Sharapova won the 2004 Championship at age 17, Williams prevailed in a 2010 Round of 16 contest…not counting Williams’ victory in the Gold Medal match of the 2012 Olympics, contested at Wimbledon.
• Williams is seeking her second “Serena Slam” (winning four straight Majors, she did so 2002-03) and the third leg of a calendar year Grand Slam (last accomplished by Steffi Graf in 1988).
• Williams has 20 Major titles, Sharapova has five. Each has a career Grand Slam.

Breakfast at Wimbledon starts the final four days – Thursday, July 9, to the Championships – hosted by Hannah Storm at 7 a.m. on July 9-10 leading into the semifinals, and at 8 a.m. on July 11-12, previewing the Championships – all on ESPN. Segments on Thursday’s show include:

• Host Hannah Storm interviews longtime head groundskeeper Neil Stubley and finds out what is required to maintain the pristine grass courts at the famed All England Tennis Club.
• Tom Rinaldi contributes a feature on the one-sided Serena-Maria rivalry.
• An interview with 1999 Wimbledon champion Lindsay Davenport on her first year as a coach at Wimbledon (for Madison Keys) plus her thoughts on the Ladies semifinals.
• Live reports from around the grounds from Tom Rinaldi and LZ Granderson.

“ESPN3 Surround” returns for the semifinals and championships, a separate feed with three boxes – the primary TV view, plus two more, each focusing on one player.

ESPN’s exclusive coverage of The Championships, Wimbledon – from first ball to the trophies – will climax with the Ladies’ Championship on ESPN on Saturday, July 11, and the Gentlemen’s Championship on Sunday, July 12.   ABC will present three-hour encore presentations of the Championships on the day they take place, July 11 and 12, at 3 p.m.

ESPN & WIMBLEDON 2015

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