This is why the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club chose ESPN to air The Championships, Wimbledon for 12 years. After seeing NBC tape delay semifinal action and receive complaints for years on end, ESPN will air both live on Thursday starting at 8 a.m.
We’ll have Angelique Kerber of Germany facing Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in the first semifinal. In the second match, it’ll be Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka, the winner of the Australian Open, squaring off against the USA’s Serena Williams.
ESPN begins its coverage with “Breakfast at Wimbledon” hosted by Hannah Storm at 7 a.m. Then at 8 a.m., the semifinals on Centre Court. We have the ESPN press release for you.
Wimbledon Ladies’ Semifinals Live on ESPN
Serena vs. Azarenka, Kerber vs. Radwanska: Four of Top Eight Seeds to Meet for Place in Final
Federer-Djokovic to Meet for First Time at Wimbledon in Friday’s SemifinalFour of the top eight Ladies seeds will square off in Wimbledon semifinals live on ESPN on Thursday, July 5, at 8 a.m. ET. No. 2 Victoria Azarenka, the current Australian Open title holder, will meet four-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams, seeded No. 6. Agnieszka Radwanska, the No. 3 seed, will meet No. 8 Angelique Kerber. Neither has ever played in the final of a Grand Slam event. The winners will meet in the Ladies’ Championship live on ESPN for the first time Saturday, July 7, at 9 a.m. Depending on the outcome, either Azarenka or Radwanska will be ranked No. 1 on Monday, July 9.
Both Gentlemen’s Semifinals will be seen live on ESPN on Friday, July 6, at 8 a.m. and include a dream matchup – the world’s top ranked player and defending champion Novak Djokovic against six-time winner Roger Federer, ranked No. 3. Djokovic, with six Major crowns, and Federer, who owns an unmatched 16, have never played on the grass courts of Wimbledon.
Those matches, plus the Championships on Saturday and Sunday, July 7 and 8, will be preceded by the one-hour Breakfast at Wimbledon, hosted by Hannah Storm (7 a.m. Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday). ABC will reair the finals on the day they take place, July 7 and 8, at 3 p.m.
All the action on ESPN is also available through WatchESPN online at WatchESPN.com and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app. ESPN 3D is televising live the final five days of action from Centre Court beginning with the men’s quarterfinals Wednesday, July 4, through the Championships.
The new schedule for ESPN’s 10th Wimbledon – exclusive and all-live – is the result of a 12-year agreement between ESPN and the All England Lawn Tennis Club announced just after the conclusion of the 2011 Championships. The remaining schedule:
Date Time (ET) Event Network Thur, July 5 7 – 8 a.m. Breakfast at Wimbledon ESPN / ESPN3 Live 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Ladies’ Semifinals ESPN / ESPN3D / ESPN3 Live Fri, July 6 7 – 8 a.m. Breakfast at Wimbledon ESPN / ESPN3 Live 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Gentlemen’s Semifinals ESPN / ESPN3D / ESPN3 Live Sat, July 7 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. Breakfast at Wimbledon ESPN / ESPN3 Live 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Ladies’ Championship ESPN / ESPN3D / ESPN3 Live 3 – 6 p.m. Ladies’ Championship ABC Tape Sun, July 8 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. Breakfast at Wimbledon ESPN / ESPN3 Live 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Gentlemen’s Championship ESPN / ESPN3D / ESPN3 Live 3 – 6 p.m. Gentlemen’s Championship ABC Tape
That’s it.
