Serena-Vesnina, Venus-Kerber in Ladies’ Semifinals at Wimbledon Thursday
· Williams Sisters – No. 1 Serena, No. 8 Venus – Aiming to Meet in Saturday’s Championship
· Australian Open Winner Kerber Could End Weekend as the New No. 1
· Breakfast at Wimbledon with Features, Interviews & Previews before Semifinals, Championships
· “Wimbledon Surround” Returns on WatchESPN: Three-Box Screen to Watch Players Individually
ESPN’s exclusive coverage of Wimbledon continues with the Wimbledon Ladies’ Semifinals on Thursday, each with a Williams – six-time winner Serena, the top seed, against unseeded Elena Vesnina who at 29 is making her first appearance in a Major semifinal, followed by five-time champion No. 8 Venus vs. No. 4 Angelique Kerber, the Australian Open winner who could be No. 1 in the world on Monday.
- 1 Serena Williams (USA) vs Elena Vesnina (RUS)
- 4 Angelique Kerber (GER) vs No. 8 Venus Williams (USA)
In addition, the Williams Sisters are scheduled to play a quarterfinal match in the Ladies’ Doubles competition late in the day against the Russian duo of Vesnina – a day of double duty for her and the Williams Sisters – and Ekaterina Makarova. It will be played on No. 2 Court and available on WatchESPN.
Breakfast at Wimbledon Hosted by Hannah Storm
Breakfast at Wimbledon starts the final four days – Thursday, July 7, to the Championships – hosted by Hannah Storm at 7 a.m. on July 7-8 leading into the semifinals, and at 8 a.m. on July 9-10, previewing the Championships – all on ESPN. In addition to a preview of the day’s matchups, segments on Thursday’s show include:
- Host Hannah Storm interviews semifinalist Angelique Kerber, the No. 4 seed who won the Australian Open (defeating Serena Williams) and could leave Wimbledon as the No. 1-ranked player in the world, supplanting Serena Williams who has been atop the rankings since February 2013.
- Tom Rinaldi contributes a feature on amazing longevity and sustained excellence of Venus Williams.
- A discussion about the legacy of the Williams sisters.
- A review of Wednesday’s amazing five-set comeback win by Roger Federer.
- Players share their reaction to the surprising loss by Novak Djokovic.
- An explanation of why players must wear white at Wimbledon.
More Choice on WatchESPN with Return of “Wimbledon Surround”
Fans on the move or wishing to watch a different match on the grounds of the All England Lawn Tennis Club can choose the match they want on WatchESPN. WatchESPN offers the ESPN and ESPN2 telecasts, as well as all matches from the TV courts from first ball to last ball each day, with action available on demand afterwards, plus AELTC’s daily Live@Wimbledon.
“Wimbledon Surround” returns for the semifinals and championships, a separate feed with three boxes – the primary TV view, plus two more, each focusing on one player.
Friday’s Men’s Semifinals and Championship Weekend
On Friday, ESPN will present the Gentlemen’s Semifinals – No. 3 Roger Federer vs. No. 6 Milos Raonic and No. 10 Tomas Berdych vs. No. 2 Andy Murray.
The action will climax with the Ladies’ Championship and the Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s Doubles Championships on ESPN on Saturday, July 9, and the Gentlemen’s Championship on Sunday, July 10, followed by the Mixed Doubles Championship. By coincidence, that day will be full of championship competition from Europe as following the Wimbledon telecast, ESPN will air the final match of the UEFA European Football Championship 2016 live from Paris.
ESPN & WIMBLEDON 2016
| Date | Time (ET) | Event | Network(s) | |
| Thur, July 7 –
Sun, July 10 |
6 a.m. | All TV Courts, all day; Live@Wimbledon | WatchESPN | Live |
| Thur, July 7 | 7 – 8 a.m. | Breakfast at Wimbledon | ESPN | Live |
| 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Ladies’ Semifinals
No. 1 Serena Williams (USA) vs Elena Vesnina (RUS) No. 4 Angelique Kerber (GER) vs No. 8 Venus Williams (USA) |
ESPN
ESPN Deportes |
Live | |
| Fri, July 8 | 7 – 8 a.m. | Breakfast at Wimbledon | ESPN | Live |
| 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Gentlemen’s Semifinals
No. 3 Roger Federer (SUI) vs. No. 6 Milos Raonic (CAN) No. 2 Andy Murray vs. No. 10 Tomas Berdych |
ESPN
ESPN Deportes |
Live | |
| Sat, July 9 | 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. | Breakfast at Wimbledon | ESPN | Live |
| 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. | Ladies’ Championship
Gentlemen’s Doubles Championship Ladies’ Doubles Championship |
ESPN
ESPN Deportes |
Live | |
| 3 – 6 p.m. | Ladies’ Championship | ABC | Tape | |
| Sun, July 10 | 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. | Breakfast at Wimbledon | ESPN | Live |
| 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Gentlemen’s Championship
Mixed Doubles Championship |
ESPN
ESPN Deportes |
Live | |
| 3 – 6 p.m. | Gentlemen’s Championship | ABC | Tape |
-30-

