To tweet this release:  http://es.pn/129iPhI

For ESPN/Wimbledon Photos:  https://library.espnimages.com/?c=1214&k=3f2220b0b0

To Get in the Mood:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTnsQ3mMPHU&feature=youtu.be

Great Championships on their 5^th, 10^th….up to 40^th Anniversary on ESPN Classic Starting July 2

ESPN will continue its exclusive and all-live presentation of Wimbledon with cross-court coverage – ESPN and ESPN2 simultaneously all day – for the Round of 16 on Monday, July 1, as well as the Quarterfinals July 2-3.  The action in London will culminate with the semifinals July 4-5, the Ladies’ Championship on Saturday, July 6, and the Gentlemen’s on Sunday, July 7.  

After debuting “cross court coverage” to great acclaim a year ago, ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD will again both be live for three days to start the second week.  ESPN will focus on Centre Court while ESPN2 offers fans a “grounds pass” to the All England Lawn Tennis Club with matches from Court One and elsewhere.  Monday, July 1 – “Manic Monday” – is widely considered the greatest day in tennis as all 32 players are on the court in eight Gentlemen’s and eight Ladies’ Round of 16 matches, something that is unique to Wimbledon.  The Ladies’ Quarterfinals are played July 2 with the Gentlemen’s on July 3. 

All the action on ESPN and ESPN2 is also available through WatchESPN online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and through ESPN on Xbox LIVE to Gold members and on Apple TV.  It is accessible in 55 million households to fans who receive ESPN’s linear networks as part of their video subscription via Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Verizon FiOS TV, Comcast Xfinity TV, Midcontinent Communications, Cablevision, Charter, Cox or AT&T U-verse. 

ESPN’s tennis team for the 140 hours of television is led by Chris Fowler who calls matches and serves as studio host, as does Mike Tirico while  Hannah Storm hosts the Breakfast at Wimbledon programs.  They are be joined by Darren Cahill, Cliff Drysdale, Chris Evert, Mary Joe Fernandez, Brad Gilbert, John McEnroe, Patrick McEnroe and Pam Shriver.  Tom Rinaldi provides reports and features and calls matches as well.  LZ Granderson of ESPN.com serves as a studio analyst. 

ESPN3’s 800 hours of a multi-screen offering includes all available TV courts (up to nine) presented from first ball to last ball each day – which will be available along with ESPN and ESPN2’s action via the WatchESPN app.  The service also offers matches on demand after they occur.  ESPN3 is ESPN’s live multi-screen sports network, a 24/7 destination that delivers thousands of global sports events annually via WatchESPN.  It is available to 85 million homes at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider.  The network is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers connected to on-campus educational networks and on-base military networks. 

* – ESPN3 will start at 6:30 a.m. ET each day July 1 – 5

ESPN Classic Looks Back at Memorable Wimbledon Moments

ESPN Classic will air championship matches upon (or near) their 5^th, 10^th….all the way to a 40^th anniversary, the 1973 Ladies Championship between Billie Jean King and Chris Evert (Sunday, July 8, at 10 a.m.).  The lineup includes the first Wimbledon titles for Stefan Edberg (1988), Steffi Graf (1988), Martina Navravtilova (1978) and Pete Sampras (1993), plus two matches pitting the Williams Sisters against each other (both on July 5, from 2003 and 2008.  The schedule – which also includes related interview and documentary programming – begins Tuesday, July 2: 

July 2

4 p.m. ET          Schaap One on One: Martina Navratilova-Part I

4:30 p.m.          Schaap One on One: Martina Navratilova-Part II

5 p.m.               1983 Wimbledon Ladies’ Championship: Martina Navratilova vs Andrea Jaeger (30^th Anniversary on July 1) – Navratilova won 6-0, 6-3, but in 2008 Jaeger claimed that she threw the match

6:30 p.m.          SportsCentury: Steffi Graf

7:30 p.m.          1988 Wimbledon Ladies’ Championship: Martina Navratilova vs Steffi Graf (25^th Anniversary) – 19-year-old Graf defeats Navratilova for her first Wimbledon crown

9:30 p.m.          SportsCentury: Martina Navratilova

10:30 p.m.        1983 Wimbledon Ladies’ Championship: Martina Navratilova vs Andrea Jaeger (30^th Anniversary on July 1) – Navratilova won 6-0, 6-3 but in 2008 Jaeger claimed that she threw the match

July 3

6 p.m.               1993 Wimbledon Ladies’ Championship: Jana Novotna vs Steffi Graf (20^th Anniversary) – Graf claimed her third consecutive Wimbledon title with a comeback in the final set from down 4-1.

July 4

3 p.m.               1988 Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Championship: Boris Becker vs Stefan Edberg (25^th Anniversary) – This was Edberg’s first Wimbledon title. 

5 p.m.               1993 Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Championship: Jim Courier vs Pete Sampras (20^th Anniversary) – Sampras claimed his first Wimbledon title with a 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3 win over Courier.

July 5

12 a.m.             1998 Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Championship: Goran Ivanisevic vs Pete Sampras (15^th Anniversary)­ – Sampras claimed his fifth Wimbledon title 6-7(2-7), 7-6(11-9), 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.

4 p.m.               2003 Wimbledon Ladies’ Championship: Serena Williams vs Venus Williams (10^th Anniversary) – Serena claimed her second Wimbledon title with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over sister Venus. 

6 p.m.               2008 Wimbledon Ladies’ Championship: Venus Williams vs Serena Williams (5^th Anniversary) – Williams sisters face off with Venus taking a 7-5, 6-4 victory, her fifth Wimbledon title. 

July 8

9:30 a.m.          Schaap One on One: Billie Jean King

10 a.m.             1973 Wimbledon Ladies’ Championship: Chris Evert vs Billie Jean King (40^th Anniversary on July 7) – Billie Jean King defeated Evert 6-0, 7-5 to claim her fifth Wimbledon crown.

Noon                SportsCentury: Chris Evert

12:30 p.m.        SportsCentury: Martina Navratilova

1:30 p.m.          1978 Wimbledon Ladies’ Championship: Martina Navratilova vs Chris Evert (35^th Anniversary on July 7) – Navratilova came back to defeat Evert 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 to claim her first Wimbledon title. 

3:30 p.m.          30 For 30: Unmatched

4:30 p.m.          SportsCentury: John McEnroe

5:30 p.m.          Up Close Classics: Jimmy Connors

6 p.m.               1978 Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Championship: Bjorn Borg vs Jimmy Connors (35^th Anniversary) – Borg took home his third consecutive Wimbledon crown with a straight-sets win over Connors.  

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