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Star-Studded Wednesday Night Semifinals at Australian Open

Tennis

Star-Studded Wednesday Night Semifinals at Australian Open

  • Serena vs. Radwanska, Kerber to Face Surprise Semifinalist Konta
  • Federer-Djokovic XLV at 3:30 a.m. ET….Fans Need to Decide: Stay Up or Get Up?
  • 48 Major Singles Titles Represented

In Wednesday’s (tonight, Thursday in Melbourne) three Australian Open semifinals, 48 Major singles titles will take to the court with the women’s matches at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2, highlighted by top-seeded Serena Williams facing No. 4 Agnieska Radwanska, and the first of the men’s semifinals at 3:30 a.m. on ESPN – the 45th meeting between legends No. 3 Roger Federer and No. 1 Novak Djokovic. Their head-to-head rivalry stands at 22 wins apiece; Federer has never trailed in the series, but Djokovic has won five of their last seven matches, all in the last 10 months.

Women’s Semifinals

  • The 34-year old Williams has shown no rust in her first tournament since the US Open, cruising into her seventh Australian Open semifinals; she has won the title the previous six appearances. With 21 Major championships, her next will tie her with Steffi Graf and the Open Era record (Margaret Court won 24). Her opponent, Agnieszka Radwanska, 26, has never won a Major event; she lost to Williams in the 2012 Wimbledon Ladies Championship, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2. Overall, the defending champ Down Under holds an 8-0 lifetime record over her younger opponent. Chris Fowler will call the match with Chrissie Evert, with Pam Shriver courtside.
  • The surprising matchup in the other women’s semifinal pits No. 7 Angelique Kerber and the unseeded Johanna Konta, currently ranked No. 47 in the world. Kerber, 28, has twice reached the semifinal round of a Major (US Open 2011, Wimbledon 2012), and did so this week by defeating two-time champ Victoria Azarenka in the quarterfinals. Konta, 24, is coming off her best Major performance by far, reaching the fourth round of last year’s US Open. She ousted Venus Williams in the first round, and is the first British woman in 33 years to reach the semifinals of a Major (since Jo Durie at the 1983 US Open). Cliff Drysdale will call the match with Mary Joe Fernandez, with Shriver courtside.

Federer-Djokovic XLV

  • The rivalry between the 34-year-old Federer, the all-time leader with 17 Major trophies on his mantle, and Djokovic, 28 and winner of 10 Majors including three in 2015, is one of the most competitive and oft-played in men’s tennis history during the Open Era. They have met three times in the Australian Open (2007, ’08, and ’11), with Djokovic holding a 2-1 lead. Fowler and Patrick McEnroe will call the action, with Darren Cahill courtside.

In matches that went five sets, Djokovic leads 3-0:

  • 2010 US Open Semifinal won by Djokovic 5–7, 6–1, 5–7, 6–2, 7–5
  • 2011 US Open Semifinal won by Djokovic 6–7(7–9), 4–6, 6–3, 6–2, 7–5
  • 2014 Wimbledon Championship won by Djokovic 6–7 (7–9), 6–4, 7–6(7–4), 5–7, 6–4

Other memorable Djokovic-Federer matches:

  • 2007 US Open Championship won by Federer 7–6(7–4), 7–6(7–2), 6–4
  • 2011 French Open Semifinal won by Federer 7–6(7–5), 6–3, 3–6, 7–6(7–5)
  • 2012 Wimbledon Semifinal won by Federer 6–3, 3–6, 6–4, 6–3
  • 2014 Indian Wells Championship won by Djokovic 3–6, 6–3, 7–6(7–3)
  • 2015 Indian Wells Championship won by Djokovic 6–3, 6–7(5–7), 6–2
  • 2015 Wimbledon Championship won by Djokovic 7–6(7–1), 6–7(10–12), 6–4, 6–3
  • 2015 US Open Championship won by Djokovic 6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 6–4

The second men’s semifinal will be live on ESPN a day later, late Thursday at 3:30 a.m., with No. 2 Andy Murray facing No. 13 Milos Raonic of Canada. Murray has two Major titles, but is 0-4 in Australian Open finals, including last year. With Murray and Konta of Great Britain both in the semifinals, it is the first time that has happened at a Major in 39 years, since Sue Barker and John Lloyd did so at the 1977 Australian Open.

All Courts on WatchESPN

In addition to all of ESPN’s linear networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, etc.), WatchESPN has every match from every court at the Australian Open, including the men’s, women’s and mixed doubles, the boys and girls divisions and the legends and wheelchair competitions.

Date Time (ET) Event Network(s)
Wed, Jan 27 9:30 p.m. – 2 a.m. Women’s Semifinals

S.Williams vs. Radwanska

Kerber vs. Konta

ESPN2 LIVE
  3:30 – 6 a.m. Men’s Semifinal #1

Federer vs. Djokovic

ESPN, ESPN Deportes LIVE
Thu, Jan 28 2 – 6 p.m. Men’s Semifinal #1

Federer vs. Djokovic

ESPN2 Encore
  3:30 – 6 a.m. Men’s Semifinal #2

Murray vs. Raonic

ESPN, ESPN Deportes LIVE
Fri, Jan 29 2 – 6 p.m. Men’s Semifinal #2

Murray vs. Raonic

ESPN2 Encore
  3 – 5:30 a.m. Women’s Championship ESPN, ESPN Deportes LIVE
Sat, Jan 30 9 – 11 a.m. Women’s Championship ESPN2 Encore
  3 – 6:30 a.m. Men’s Championship ESPN, ESPN Deportes LIVE
Sun, Jan 31 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Men’s Championship ESPN2 Encore

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Dave Nagle

As I write this on 11-11-21, it's now 35 years for me at ESPN, the only real job I’ve ever had. I joined merely to help with the upcoming America’s Cup in Australia. I was told it would be for three months at all of $5.50 per hour. I like to say I simply kept showing up. I’ve worked on almost every sport, plus answered viewer calls and letters (people used to write!), given tours, written the company newsletter and once drove NASCAR’s Jeff Gordon to the local airport. My travels have been varied…I’ve been to Martinsville, Darlington, Indy and Super Bowls; the America’s Cup (all 3) in San Diego and College GameDay in the sport’s meccas such as Eugene, Auburn, Lubbock, Stillwater and more; the NBA Finals, Wimbledon (16 times and counting) and the “other Bristol,” the one with a race track in Tennessee. These days, my main areas are tennis, UFC, boxing, network-wide ratings (by month/quarter/year), and corporate communications documents, including fact sheets, chronologies, lists and nearly 35 of the Year in Review press releases. UPDATE EXACTLY ONE YEAR LATER: Today, November 11, 2022, I am retiring from ESPN -- 36 years to the day I began. As I ride off into the sunset – top down and E Street Radio blaring – I do so with so many wonderful memories, proud of my contributions and a heart full of gratitude for the opportunity. 
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