- #2 Federer vs. #3 Nadal for a 40th Meeting
- #1 Djokovic vs. #23 Bautista Agut
- Breakfast at Wimbledon: Focus on the Rivalries of the Big Three, Look Back at Federer-Nadal 2008 Masterpiece
- Nadal-Federer 2008 Wimbledon Epic on ESPNEWS Tonight, also On Demand on ESPN+
- Saturday’s Ladies’ Championship: #7 Simona Halep vs. #11 Serena Williams
The 40th meeting in what many consider the greatest rivalry in tennis history — #2 seed Roger Federer vs. #3 Rafael Nadal in their first Wimbledon meeting since their epic 2008 championship match – headlines the Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Semifinals on Friday, July 12. In the first match, #1 Novak Djokovic, the defending champ, plays #23 Roberto Bautista Agut. ESPN’s exclusive coverage continues, starting with Breakfast at Wimbledon at 7 a.m. ET and the Gentlemen’s Semifinals at 8 a.m.:
- #2 Roger Federer: The 37-year old Swiss holds the records of 20 Major titles and eight at Wimbledon. He has been ranked #1 more weeks than any player in history. His semifinal victory was his 100th at Wimbledon, more than any man at any Major.
Vs.
- #3 Rafael Nadal: The lefty from Spain, 33, has won 18 Major championships including two at Wimbledon. He has won a record 34 ATP Masters titles. He won the 2008 Olympic Gold Medal in Singles and was part of Spain’s Davis Cup-winning team four times.
Nadal leads the matchup 24-15 although Federer leads on surfaces other than clay (13-10) and 2-1 on grass (all at Wimbledon). This will be their first meeting on the lawn of Centre Court at the All England Club since their epic 2008 Championship match won by Nadal 6–4, 6–4, 6–7, 6–7, 9–7.
That match will be preceded by:
- #1 Novak Djokovic: The 32-year old top-ranked player from Serbia seeks his fifth Wimbledon title and 16th Major overall. He has won seven of his 10 matches with Roberto Bautista Agut.
Vs.
- #23 Roberto Bautista Agut: At 31, the Spaniard is playing in his first Major semifinal. He has been ranked as high as #13 (2016) in his career.
ESPN+ on the ESPN App; 2008 Championship on ESPNEWS Tonight
Beyond Centre Court, more courts are available on the ESPN App with ESPN+ covering Doubles, Juniors, Wheelchair and Invitational (seniors) beginning at 6 a.m. (No. 1 Court at 8 a.m.).
In addition, ESPN+ has available on demand the Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Championships between Federer and Nadal from 2006, 2007 and 2008. The 2008 five-hour marathon will be aired on ESPNEWS tonight at 1 a.m. (10 p.m. PT).
Breakfast at Wimbledon at 7 a.m.
The two Gentlemen’s Semifinal matches will be preceded by Breakfast at Wimbledon at 7 a.m., hosted by Chris McKendry. The show will include:
- A look at the Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal rivalry, one of the greatest in all of sports history
- A look at Novak Djokovic’s place in the Big Three in the prism of that rivalry
- A feature on the 2008 Wimbledon Championship masterpiece between Federer and Nadal
- A preview of the day’s Gentlemen’s Semifinals and a look ahead at the Ladies’ Championship.
“Wimbledon Multicam” on ESPN3 Returns for Semifinals and Championships
ESPN3 – online and streaming live on the ESPN App – will once again add an additional feed – “Wimbledon Multicam” – for the semifinals. It has three boxes – the primary TV view, plus two more, each focusing on one player.
Ladies’ Championship Saturday – Serena Goes for History
Saturday’s Wimbledon Ladies’ Championship will begin at 9 a.m., preceded by Breakfast at Wimbledon at 8 a.m.:
- #7 Simona Halep will seek her second Major title against #11 Serena Williams who is aiming to tie Margaret Court’s record of 24 Major titles (seven of her 23 are at Wimbledon).
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