- 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 |
-30-
-
-
-
-
-
