Federer-Djokovic to Meet for First Time at Wimbledon in Friday’s Semifinal
Four of Top Five Seeds Meet for Place in Sunday’s Championship
A dream matchup of two of tennis’ all-time best who have met 26 times but never at Wimbledon highlights the Gentlemen’s Semifinals live on ESPN on Friday, July 6, at 8 a.m. Novak Djokovic,– the world’s top ranked player and defending champion – will face six-time winner Roger Federer, seeded No. 3. Federer, with an unmatched 16 Grand Slam titles, owns a 14-12 career record against Djokovic, who owns six Major crowns and has won their last three meetings. The two have met in the semifinal round in six of the last eight Majors, but have never played on the grass courts of Wimbledon.
With No. 4 seed Andy Murray – carrying the weight of a 76-year drought for men from Great Britain at Wimbledon into his fourth straight appearance in the semifinals – playing No. 5 seed Jo Wilfried Tsonga, four of the top five seeds have reached the penultimate stage of tennis’ most storied event.
Those matches, plus the Ladies’ Championships on Saturday, July 7, and the Gentlemen’s Championship on Sunday, July 8, will be preceded by the one-hour Breakfast at Wimbledon, hosted by Hannah Storm (7 a.m. 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.
Patrick McEnroe on the Semifinals
“Federer and Djokovic is obviously the blockbuster matchup. Can Federer find the magic to get back to the final? This may be his best chance to win another Major. It’s his favorite surface and Nadal is out of his way. The clock is ticking.
“The clock is also ticking on the Brits…since 1936. Despite that pressure, this is Andy Murray’s best opportunity to win his first Major, also based on Nadal losing. But it won’t be easy. Tsonga is a Big Spot Player. He’s at his best in the biggest matches, especially here. He’s going to bring a lot of exuberance and passion. It’s a very, very tough ask for Andy, but he can counterpunch Tsonga’s firepower with guile.”
Ladies Championship
The Ladies Championship will see No. 6 seed Serena Williams vying for her 14th Major title and fifth at Wimbledon play No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska who is playing in her first Major final but will be the top-ranked player in the world with a win She is the first Pole to play for the Wimbledon Championship since Jadwiga Jedrzejowska in 1937.
ESPN and Wimbledon
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 | |
| Fri, July 6 | 7 – 8 a.m. | Breakfast at Wimbledon | ESPN / ESPN3 | Live |
| 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Gentlemen’s Semifinals
No. 1 Djokovic vs. No. 3 Federer No. 4 Murray vs. No. 5 Tsonga |
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
No. 3 Radwanska vs. No. 6 Williams |
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 |
ESPN – All Four Slams, All In One Place
Tennis has been part of ESPN since its first week on the air and provided many memorable moments, but it has never been as important as today, with the US Open joining the lineup in 2009, giving ESPN all four Grand Slam events, something no other U.S. network has ever done, let alone in one year. ESPN has presented the Australian Open since 1984, the French Open since 2002 (plus 1986 – 1993), and Wimbledon since 2003, with exclusivity for live television with all other rights extended in a 12-year agreement starting in 2012.
ESPN debuted September 7, 1979, and the first tennis telecast was exactly one week later, September 14, a Davis Cup tie, Argentina at U.S. from Memphis with Cliff Drysdale on the call and John McEnroe playing.
In addition, broadband network ESPN3, now in nearly 72 million homes, carries thousands of hours of tennis annually, including all four Grand Slam events, plus ATP 1000 and 500 tournaments and WTA Premier Events, and season-ending championships for both tours. Also, ESPN Classic shows great matches from the past and the sport receives extensive coverage on SportsCenter, ESPNEWS, Spanish-language ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine. ESPN 3D aired its first tennis at Wimbledon in 2011.
-30-