Warm up for Wimbledon on ESPN Classic

Warm up for Wimbledon on ESPN Classic

Virtually Non-Stop Marathon over Five Days June 17-21 Starts with Unmatched, the Martina/Chrissie Rivalry/Friendship

Great Matches July 2-8 on 5^th, 10^th….40^th Anniversaries include Martina, Chrissie, Williams Sisters, Sampras & Both Borg/McEnroe Battles

ESPN Classic will become the Wimbledon Network for five days starting Monday, June 17, with virtually round-the-clock great matches from the past on the hallowed grass of Centre Court, along with other tennis-related programming from the ESPN archives, such as episodes of SportsCentury.  ESPN’s second year of exclusive coverage of Wimbledon begins Monday, June 24.

ESPN Classic will return to London on Tuesday, July 2, to air select 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 title 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.  (Their 2002 meeting in the final airs June 19 at 6 p.m.).

Wimbledon Marathon June 17-21

The marathon will begin Monday, June 17, at 1 a.m. ET (Sunday, June 16, at 10 p.m. PT) with Unmatched, the 2010 film from the critically acclaimed “30 for 30” series from ESPN that chronicles the rivalry – and later the friendship – between Wimbledon champions Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.  The film, produced by ESPN’s Hannah Storm, will reair twice more that day – at 4 a.m. and 9 p.m. – plus on ABC on Saturday, June 22, as part of ESPN Sports Saturday at 4 p.m. (2 p.m. PT).

When Unmatched was released, the Los Angeles Times called it, “lovely and remarkable…. Throw in the fact that both Evert and Navratilova are funny, warm and as comfortable in front of the camera as they are with each other and “Unmatched” becomes not just a rare window into the sports world but a fascinating conversation between two women who have as much hard-won wisdom between them as tennis titles.”  The 4 a.m. showing will be followed by SportsCentury: Chris Evert, and the 9 p.m. showing will be preceded at 8 p.m. by SportsCentury: Martina Navratilova.  ESPN’s Peabody Award-winning SportsCentury counted down the top 50 athletes of the 20^th Century, with Evert and Navratilova ranking 50^th and 19^th, respectively.

The five-day tennis feast on ESPN Classic includes both the 1980 and ’81 Borg/McEnroe duels (June 18); all three of the Federer/Nadal finals, including the 2008 epic (June 20); the oldest match to reair, the 1969 Ladies final between Billie Jean King and Ann Haydon-Jones (June 18); and on June 21 the most recent two Gentlemen’s Finals, the 2009 Federer/Roddick thriller that climaxed with a 16-14 fifth set; and the official 2012 Wimbledon film.  Highlights:

June 17

1 a.m. ET          30 for 30: Unmatched

4 a.m.               30 for 30: Umatched

7 a.m.               Schaap One on One:  Virginia Wade

7:30 a.m.          Jim Rome Classics: Andre Agassi

8 a.m.               Schaap One on One: Billie Jean King

8:30 a.m.          Schaap One on One: Martina Navratilova

9 a.m.               1990 Ladies’ Championship: Martina Navratilova vs Zina Garrison

11 a.m.             1978 Ladies’ Championship: Martina Navratilova vs Chris Evert

1 p.m.               1970 Ladies’ Championship: Billie Jean King vs Margaret Court

3 p.m.               2004 Ladies’ Championship: Serena Williams vs Maria Sharapova

4:30 p.m.          2010 Ladies’ Championship: Serena Williams vs Vera Zvonareva

6 p.m.               SportsCentury: Steffi Graf

7 p.m.               SportsCentury: John McEnroe

8 p.m.               SportsCentury: Martina Navratilova

9 p.m.               30 for 30: Unmatched

June 18

1 a.m.               1973 Ladies’ Championship: Chris Evert vs Billie Jean King

3 a.m.               1969 Ladies’ Championship: Ann Haydon-Jones vs Billie Jean King

8 a.m.               1975 Gentlemen’s Championship: Arthur Ashe vs Jimmy Connors

10 a.m.             1977 Gentlemen’s Championship: Bjorn Borg vs Jimmy Connors

Noon                1980 Gentlemen’s Championship: John McEnroe vs Bjorn Borg

2 p.m.               1981 Gentlemen’s Championship: John McEnroe vs Bjorn Borg

4 p.m.               1982 Gentlemen’s Championship: Jimmy Connors vs John McEnroe

6 p.m.               1992 Gentlemen’s Championship: Andre Agassi vs Goran Ivanisevic

June 19

7 a.m.               2004 Ladies’ Championship: Serena Williams vs Maria Sharapova

8:30 a.m.          1985 Ladies’ Championship: Chris Evert Lloyd vs Martina Navratilova

10:30 a.m.         1987 Ladies’ Championship: Marina Navratilova vs Steffi Graf

Noon                1999 Ladies’ Championship: Lindsay Davenport vs Steffi Graf

2 p.m.               2000 Ladies’ Championship: Venus Williams vs Lindsay Davenport

4 p.m.               2009 Ladies’ Semifinal: Serena Williams vs Elena Dementieva

6 p.m.               2002 Ladies’ Championship: Serena Williams vs Venus Williams

8 p.m.               2008 Ladies’ Championship: Venus Williams vs Serena Williams (5^th Anniversary)

10 p.m.             2003 Ladies’ Championship: Serena Williams vs Venus Williams (10^th Anniversary)

June 20

7 a.m.               2008 Gentlemen’s Round of 16: Richard Gasquet vs Andy Murray (5^th Anniversary)

9 a.m.               2010 Gentlemen’s Championship: Rafael Nadal vs Tomas Berdych

11 a.m.             2006 Gentlemen’s Championship: Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal

1 p.m.               2008 Gentlemen’s Championship: Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal (5^th Anniversary)

June 21

1 a.m.               2007 Gentlemen’s Championship: Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal

7 a.m.               2003 Gentlemen’s Championship: Roger Federer vs Mark Philippoussis (10^th Anniversary)

9 a.m.               2011 Gentlemen’s Championship: Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic

11 a.m.             2012 Gentlemen’s Championship: Roger Federer vs Andy Murray

1 p.m.               2009 Gentlemen’s Championship: Roger Federer vs Andy Roddick

6 p.m.               2012 Wimbledon Official Film

June 22 (ESPN Sports Saturday on ABC)

4 p.m. ET          30 for 30: Unmatched

(2 p.m. PT)

Classic Anniversary Wimbledon Matches July 2-8

 

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 after trailing 1-4 in the final set.

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 with a 6-7(2-7), 7-6(11-9), 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 slugfest.

2 a.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.

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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